Enzo Fernandez has been suspended for two games by Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior. The midfielder said he does not know if he will be at Chelsea next season after their Champions League exit to PSG, an 8-2 aggregate defeat. Rosenior refused to comment on Fernandez's future remarks after the PSG defeat, saying he hadn't seen them.
The suspension is due to a boundary being crossed regarding the club's culture and what they want to build, according to Rosenior. Fernandez will not be available for the match against Port Vale in the FA Cup and against Manchester City. The decision to suspend Fernandez was a joint one by the club's leadership, though Rosenior indicated the door is not closed for him to return eventually.
You never know in football.
Fernandez offered a cryptic response about his long-term commitment to Chelsea, saying he does not know and will assess things after the season, according to reports. There is internal dissatisfaction with Fernandez at Chelsea, with teammates considering his behavior inappropriate, according to The Telegraph. The Telegraph also reports that Fernandez's vague answers about his future have led to frustration among teammates.
According to Daily Express - Sport, Javier Pastore, Fernandez's agent, described the suspension as completely unfair. According to Daily Mail - Sport, former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel described Fernandez's comments as disrespectful.
I have publicly criticized Chelsea's transfer policy and suggested I could return to La Liga, possibly to Barcelona.
Fernandez has registered 12 goals and six assists across 45 appearances this season. His current contract at Chelsea runs until 2032.
Fernandez is of interest to other clubs, such as Real Madrid and PSG. According to Daily Mirror - Sport, Fernandez described wanting to live in Madrid, comparing it to Buenos Aires.
The suspension is completely unfair.
Marc Cucurella has publicly criticized Chelsea's transfer policy and suggested he could return to La Liga, possibly to Barcelona, according to Daily Mail - Sport. According to Daily Mail - Sport, Moises Caicedo described refusing to rule out a future move to Real Madrid, saying you never know in football. Emmanuel Petit believes Fernandez, Caicedo, and Cole Palmer are tired of Chelsea's project and considering moves.
Liam Rosenior held a meeting with Marc Cucurella after his criticism of the club's transfer policy, according to multiple reports. Rosenior said Fernandez is fully committed to Chelsea after clarifying his comments, but he also downplayed the significance of Fernandez's earlier remarks, saying he hadn't seen them and needs to focus on the Everton game.
Enzo Fernandez's comments are disrespectful.
Chelsea are considering tweaking their transfer policy to include more proven players rather than just young talent, according to multiple reports. The club sold players like Noni Madueke, Renato Veiga, and Carney Chukwuemeka for profits last summer, according to multiple reports. Enzo Maresca, former Chelsea manager, changed his WhatsApp profile picture to a quote about not sacrificing quality for profit, potentially as a cryptic message to Chelsea, according to multiple reports.
River Plate are due 5% of any future transfer fee for Enzo Fernandez based on a deal from his sale to Benfica, according to multiple reports.
I hadn't seen them and need to focus on the Everton game.
Chelsea's priority is securing a top-four finish to ensure Champions League qualification. Fernandez acknowledged Chelsea failed to manage key moments against PSG and deserved to be eliminated. He insisted the focus must now shift to finishing the season strongly with domestic objectives.
Chelsea's night was complicated by injury concerns with Trelland Chalibur forced off.
Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa said he has maximum confidence in Kylian Mbappe ahead of the derby clash against Atletico Madrid. Mbappe returned from a knee sprain as a substitute against Manchester City on Tuesday after missing five games. Arbeloa said he was excited to have Mbappe back at 100 percent, along with fit-again Jude Bellingham. Mbappe and Bellingham will be in Real Madrid's squad for Sunday's La Liga game against Atletico Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. Arbeloa said that in the minutes Mbappe played against Manchester City, his bursts of pace showed he's in great shape. Mbappe is Real Madrid's top goalscorer this season with 38 goals in 34 games across all competitions. Arbeloa said he was happy that the French national team have called up Mbappe for matches against Brazil and Colombia next week in the United States. England coach Thomas Tuchel called up Jude Bellingham for international duty even though the midfielder has not played since February 1 because of a hamstring injury. Real Madrid will be without goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who is set to miss several weeks with a thigh injury. Arbeloa said he has faith in replacement goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, calling him an outstanding goalkeeper.
Borussia Dortmund have extended Emre Can's contract by one season until 2027 as he recovers from an ACL injury. Can suffered a season-ending knee injury in Dortmund's 3-2 home loss to Bayern Munich in February after slipping on advertising hoardings.
Enzo Maresca is linked with succeeding Pep Guardiola at Manchester City this summer, according to multiple reports. Chelsea have hired several staff from the Kinetic Academy, including Calum McFarlane, Harry Hudson, Dan Hogan, and Joe Shields, according to multiple reports.
Cristian Romero, Tottenham defender and Argentina teammate of Enzo Fernandez, cast doubt on his future at Tottenham, according to multiple reports.