Chelsea manager Graham Potter hailed midfielder Enzo Fernandez as a ‘fantastic player’ following the club’s 3-1 Premier League win over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
The London giants won their third successive game on Saturday after a superb team performance. Following the game, Potter praised some individual displays and he was particularly pleased for Fernandez.
The Argentine has been an outstanding performer in Chelsea’s midfield since his deadline day move from Benfica in January. The Blues boss has backed him to get ‘better and better’ with more experience.
He told Chelsea’s official website: “Enzo’s a fantastic player and he’s a young player. He’s going to get better and better as he’s with us more because he’s just arrived from another country and another league. So you always have to adapt to that but you can see his quality.”
“He gets the ball and he can pass forward. He’s progressive with his mentality, gets the team moving and then he gives everything. So it’s a nice combination to have.”
World-class potential
Fernandez has been fantastic for Chelsea right from his debut against Fulham. The 22-year-old has brought more control with his hold-up play and has also impressed with his key passes.
In yesterday’s game, he had 98 touches with 72 successful passes, according to WhoScored. He won 7 duels and 4 tackles while providing a brilliant assist behind the defence for Kai Havertz’s goal.
As Potter said, Fernandez can only better with more time and experience at the club. Chelsea paid huge money for him but the outlay is already proving worthwhile with his consistent high-level displays.
N’Golo Kante was a world-class performer at Chelsea for several years before his injury woes. Fernandez has the potential to make a similar impact, judging by how his Blues career has began.
If Kante can get back to his best on his comeback, Fernandez could be given more freedom to press forward. The Argentine has the ability to develop into a world-class box-to-box midfielder.
