Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has dismissed speculation linking midfielder Enzo Fernandez with a future transfer to Real Madrid.
Since his £106.7m transfer from Benfica in January 2023, the performances of the Argentina international have come under heavy scrutiny.
There have been times when Fernandez has struggled to justify his price-tag, largely through his initial return in terms of goals and assists.
However, that has significantly improved during 2024-25, a total of seven goals and 13 assists being contributed from his 44 appearances in all competitions.
As a result, the 24-year-old has been linked with a switch to Real Madrid on more than one occasion, speculation intensifying at this point due to the changes that are taking place in the Los Blancos dugout at the present time.
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Will Fernandez stay at Chelsea?
With Fernandez possessing a contract until 2032, Chelsea are in a strong position to dictate whether he remains at Stamford Bridge in the long term.
There has also been no suggestion that Fernandez would contemplate a move to the Bernabeu at this stage of his career having committed himself to the Chelsea project.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday morning, Maresca reiterated the importance of Fernandez within his squad and ruled out an exit.
The Italian told reporters: "Enzo is very important for us. He is one of our captains, he is one of the leaders.
"This season has been very good and he can be even better next season, starting from the first day. Nothing to say about speculation, his focus is on us and that is the most important thing."
When asked for a straight answer over whether Fernandez would be staying put, Maresca bluntly replied: "Yes".
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Chelsea stance no surprise
Unless Chelsea were in a position to make a profit on their previous £106.7m deal, a sale has always been out of the question at this stage.
With Fernandez performing at his highest level in two-and-a-half years, he is viewed as an integral part of the group and an influential figure behind the scenes.
Although Andrey Santos is in line to join Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia in competing for starting roles in the engine room, Fernandez will still be viewed as one of the first names on the team sheet.
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Darren Plant
