REVEALED: How Chelsea beat Manchester City and Real Madrid to sign Enzo Fernandez

Rather than waiting until the summer to negotiate a potentially lower price, Chelsea moved quickly to deter rival clubs’ interest.

Chelsea accelerated their pursuit of Enzo Fernandez after calculating that they would face competition from six of Europe’s top clubs in the summer.

The club believes they beat Manchester City and Real Madrid to the punch by moving quickly to sign Fernandez – despite having to pay Benfica a British record fee.

After initially refusing to meet the buy-out clause in Fernandez’s Benfica contract, Chelsea agreed to pay a fee of just over £106 million for the midfielder in the final days of the January transfer window.

Some saw the move as a reaction to Chelsea’s poor form and results, but not at Stamford Bridge, where Fernandez has already made an impact on and off the field.

Chelsea could have waited until the summer to negotiate a lower price, but the club’s recruitment team predicted that Fernandez would be among the top three midfield targets for as many as six other clubs following his excellent performances for Argentina at the World Cup.

According to the club’s analysis, Fernandez and Jude Bellingham are the best midfielders likely to be available this summer, and Real Madrid, Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Arsenal will all try to fill that position.

One other club, the identity of which is unknown, was also on Chelsea’s list of clubs from which they concluded they would face competition if they waited to make a move for Fernandez. If Frenkie de Jong, who Chelsea were interested in, joins Manchester United, Barcelona will need a midfielder.

Chelsea is said to have put Fernandez at the top of a list of nine potential midfield targets for either January or the summer. Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice were also included on the list.

Chelsea are still interested in Bellingham and have not ruled out a bid, but they are aware that they are not currently among the favorites to sign the Borussia Dortmund star.