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Chelsea sign Enzo Fernandez for British record fee; Sabitzer joins Man Utd

admin February 1, 2023 62

Chelsea have completed the British record 105 million pounds ($129.18 million) signing of Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez, Portuguese club Benfica confirmed on Wednesday.Chelsea has already spent more in the January transfer window — around $225 million — than every club in the top leagues in Spain, Italy, Germany and France combined.

They have now completed the British record 105 million pounds ($129.18 million) signing of Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez, Portuguese club Benfica confirmed on Wednesday.

After a day of negotiations between the two clubs, Premier League team Chelsea reached agreement to pay the release fee for the 22-year-old Argentina World Cup winner.

The fee eclipses the 100 million pounds Manchester City paid Aston Villa for England midfielder Jack Grealish in 2021.

This comes after Chelsea spent around $280 million in Europe’s summer transfer window, the first under the new ownership fronted by Todd Boehly following the purchase of the club for $2.5 billion in May.

Chelsea has handed new players long contracts — as much as 8 1/2 years for Mudryk, for example — to allow the club to spread the cost of the signings over the length of the deal and comply with financial fair-play regulations.

Fernandez only joined Benfica from Argentine club River Plate in August, for a reported fee of around $10 million.

Chelsea will hope its latest spending spree helps the team climb the Premier League standings — it is currently in 10th place, 10 points off the top four — in a late attempt to qualify for the Champions League.

JORGINHO TO ARSENAL

Italy international Jorginho has cost Arsenal a reported 12 million pounds ($14.75 million) in a move that gives the league leaders an extra option in midfield in their bid to win a first top-flight title since 2004.

Arsenal made a late move in the transfer window to strengthen its central-midfield department, with Mohamed Elneny — a backup to first-choice holding midfielder Thomas Partey — ruled out for a lengthy period Tuesday because of injury.

Attempts to sign Ecuador international Moises Caideco from Brighton were rebuffed last week, leading Arsenal to turn to Jorginho, who helped Italy win the European Championship in 2021.

He spent 4 1/2 years at Chelsea after joining from Napoli and was no longer a regular player at Chelsea under manager Graham Potter.

Arsenal also loaned out midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga to Crystal Palace and 19-year-old Brazilian forward Marquinhos, who is midway through his first season at the club, to second-tier Norwich to get more first-team action.

CANCELO LEAVES CITY

Manchester City sent Joao Cancelo on loan to Bayern Munich for the rest of the season, with the Portugal fullback having fallen out of favor with manager Pep Guardiola since the World Cup.

The German champions have the option to make the transfer permanent for a fee of 70 million euros ($76 million).

Cancelo was one of City’s key players last season but Guardiola feels the team can do without the attacking, versatile defender after a recent tactical switch and the emergence of 18-year-old right back Rico Lewis.

TOTTENHAM’S RIGHT BACKS

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte places a lot of importance in his wing backs and the club switched around the players on the right side on deadline day.

Spain wing back Pedro Porro joined from Sporting in Portugal on loan, with Tottenham obliged to buy him for a reported 39 million pounds ($48 million) at the end of the season. To make room in the squad, Tottenham sent Djed Spence on loan to Rennes in France and mutually agreed to the termination of Matt Doherty’s contract to enable him to join Atletico Madrid in Spain.

SABITZER TO UNITED

Manchester United completed the loan signing of midfielder Marcel Sabitzer from Bayern Munich as cover for the injured Christian Eriksen on Tuesday.

Eriksen could miss most of the remainder of the season because of an ankle injury, sustained during United’s 3-1 win against Reading in the FA Cup on Saturday.

That prompted the Premier League club to look for midfield reinforcements before the January window closed, with Sabitzer flying in from Germany to sign a deal until the end of the season.

“Sometimes in life you have to make quick and important decisions,” Sabitzer said. “From the moment I heard about this opportunity I knew it was right for me. I am a competitive player; I want to win and help the club achieve its aims this season.”

FOREST AND BOURNEMOUTH ACTIVE

Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth were busy bolstering their squads for their bids to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Forest brought in three players — the signature signing being Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas on loan from Paris Saint-Germain for the rest of the season. Felipe, a 33-year-old Brazilian central defender, arrived from Atletico and midfielder Jonjo Shelvey came from Newcastle.

Bournemouth signed Dynamo Kyiv defender Illia Zabarnyi, who is highly rated having won 24 caps for Ukraine by the age of 20, and Ivory Coast midfielder Hamed Traorè from Italian team Sassuolo on an initial loan agreement which will become permanent at the end of the season for a further five years.

Leeds signed center back Diogo Monteiro, who has been a captain of Portugal’s youth teams, from Swiss team Servette while Australia defender Harry Souttar, who impressed at the World Cup, joined Leicester from second-tier Stoke.