While Argentina’s incredible World Cup win was dominated by the news of Lionel Messi winning the final big trophy in his illustrious career. However, in all the celebrations and glory, what escaped the attention of most was the rise of a new generation of players who will take the baton from Messi and ensure that La Albiceleste keep on winning titles in future. Enzo Fernandez is the face of this new generation.
The 22-year-old was one of the best players to emerge from the World Cup. And his incredible showings in Qatar and at Benfica in the Portuguese League made him a transfer target for several elite clubs. Chelsea moved ahead of the queue and landed their man on deadline day for a British record of £105m, surpassing Jack Grealish’s transfer to Manchester City.
A hard-working player with impeccable passing, Fernandez was already on the radars of several clubs. However, his performances at the World Cup, which won Argentina their third title, have confirmed that he is more than ready to play a prominent role for one of the top clubs in Europe. The SL Benfica has produced some of the finest players over the years, but Fernandez could be the one that brings them the most money.
Enzo Fernandez career stats
Fernandez is a number eight who relies on his passing always to move the ball forward and ensure his team has the upper hand. According to fbref, Fernandez makes 98.72 passes per 90 minutes, completing 84.28 of them, both putting him in the top one percentile of midfielders. He is also among the top one percentile midfielders when it comes to progressive passes (9.47), passes into the final third (11.49), live ball passes (94.14), through balls (0.62), and switches (1.89).
His passing also helps him in creating chances for his team. He completed 4.49 goal-creating actions, among the top four percentile of midfielders. Out of this, 3.83 came from his passing, among the top two percentile midfielders. The same is the case when it comes to goal-creating actions, where he creates one goal every 140 minutes, among the top one percentile of midfielders.
However, this doesn’t mean he shies away from performing his defensive duties. In the last 365…
..
