Chelsea pressed ahead with blockbuster Enzo Fernandez transfer despite Graham Potter's 'overpriced' warning

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Graham Potter warned Chelsea against signing Enzo Fernandez because the manager felt the midfielder was overpriced, according to a report.

Potter advised against signing Fernandez
Coach felt Benfica asking price was too high
Blues signed him for £107m in January

WHAT HAPPENED? The Stamford Bridge club were linked to signing Fernandez for weeks before the transfer finally went through and, according to The Guardian, Potter tried to discourage the owners from pushing ahead with the transfer. The coach felt Benfica's asking price was too high and stressed that Chelsea had already made too many signings, having eventually splashed out around £600m since last summer.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: However, co-owner Behdad Eghbali was active in negotiations with Benfica and persisted with the signing. Chelsea landed the Argentina star from Benfica in a deal worth £107 million ($131m) in January.

AND WHAT'S MORE: Despite the arrival of the 22-year-old, among other big signings, Chelsea's turbulent season only got worse as Potter was sacked in March and replaced by Frank Lampard and the Blues finished as low as 12th in the Premier League.

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IN THREE PHOTOS:

Enzo Fernandez Graham Potter Chelsea 2022-23

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WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA? Fernandez will likely remain a key figure at the London club as new coach Mauricio Pochettino comes in ahead of next season.