sport news Benfica president Rui Costa SLAMS Enzo Fernandez's behavior during £107m move ... trends now
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Benfica president Rui Costa has admitted he 'won't cry' for Enzo Fernandez in a scathing account of the midfielder's conduct during his deadline day move to Chelsea.
The 22-year-old joined the Blues for a British record £107 million after frantic negotiations that saw the deal completed just 'two minutes' before the deadline.
Despite Costa's best efforts, he could not persuade Fernandez to stay with the Eagles until the end of the season, and has now recounted a bitter end to the Argentine star's time in Portugal.
‘Enzo Fernandez did not want to stay at Benfica. He didn’t give us any chance,' the president said at a Bwin event this week.
‘I did my best, I’m sad, but I’m not going to cry for a player who didn’t want to stay. When Chelsea arrived, it was really impossible to change his mind.'
Enzo Fernandez joined Chelsea on transfer deadline day for a British record £107m
Benfica president Rui Costa has hit out at the manner of his departure from the club
The 22-year-old had been an important member of the Benfica side before his move
Fernandez is believed to have wanted a move since the World Cup, and defied his club by flying back to Argentina to celebrate the New Year as he pushed for a move to England.
Benfica manager Roger Schmidt had claimed no deal would take place in mid-January, but Chelsea came back in for the midfielder after giving up in their pursuit of Brighton's Moises Caicedo and deciding they would pay
