Southgate previews England's World Cup clash with Wales
Manchester United face paying a whopping £103million if they want to prise Enzo Fernandez from Benfica, according to reports in Portugal. The young midfielder has been one of the stars of the World Cup and is attracting interest from Europe’s biggest clubs.
Fernandez scored a stunning goal for Argentina in their 2-0 win over Mexico on Saturday. He was dubbed ‘spectacular’ by iconic forward and team-mate Lionel Messi for his displays so far in Qatar.
Benfica paid just £10m to sign Fernandez from River Plate during the summer transfer window but his value has already soared. Several Premier League clubs have been linked with the 21-year-old, despite him only moving to Portugal six months ago.
In their perennial quest for a defensive midfielder, Man Utd are reportedly keeping tabs on the 21-year-old. But they would need to pay his £103m (€120m) release clause to bring him to England.
Enzo Fernandez has been linked with a Man Utd transfer (Image: GETTY IMAGES)
That is according to Portuguese publication A Bola, who claim that Benfica are not willing to let their prized asset leave for less than the release clause inserted into the contract he signed in the summer.
Liverpool have also been linked with the highly-rated Argentina international. However, the Reds could prioritise a move for Jude Bellingham.
Fernandez has impressed in Qatar this month, building on his excellent displays in the Champions League and Primeira Liga for Benfica. Interested clubs will be keen to hear that he has drawn high praise from Barcelona legend Messi.
"I know Enzo very well, here from the national team and I also played against him in the Champions League. He deserves it, because he’s a spectacular kid and a very important player for us,” Messi gushed on Saturday evening.
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Man Utd target Enzo Fernandez has drawn praise from Lionel Messi (Image: GETTY IMAGES)
“I’m very happy for him and for us, because the goal he scored gave us peace of mind in the game. We didn’t expect to start the World Cup with a loss, so we wanted to turn the situation around.
“Enzo’s great goal ended the game and now we can face the game against Poland in a different way.”
Fernandez received Messi’s pass and curled home a wonderful goal in the victory against Mexico. He is not known for his goalscoring, though, having scored just once in the Portuguese top-flight this term.
The five-cap international is instead renowned for his midfield ability, with his passing and tackling key attributes. He will be hoping to go far with Argentina at the World Cup after overcoming the disastrous defeat by Saudi Arabia.