JUST IN: Todd Beohly has revealed the only condition which can help Chelsea in signing Enzo Fernandez 

Chelsea FC owner Todd Beohly again has given his verdict on the pursuit of World Cup winner move to Stamford Bridge.

According to sources, Chelsea might be at risk of being priced out of the race to secure the Argentina international if they insist on installment payment.

Chelsea began the race to sign Enzo Fernandez after his wonderful 2022 FIFA World Cup performance in Qatar but may lose out if the January transfer window closes thou they have been in serious talk with Benfica I’ve his availability since the beginning of this year.

Fernandez is believed to be trying to force through a move to Chelsea and did not feature in training for Benfica last week after making an unauthorized trip to Argentina, although he returned to Portugal on Tuesday. However, it seems as though Benfica’s unwavering demands could be set to wreck Chelsea’s hopes of bringing the 21-year-old to Stamford Bridge unless they are prepared to budge in negotiations over the coming days.

The Portuguese giants are only willing to sell Fernandez for the full value of his £105million release clause, which Chelsea is reluctant to meet as things stand, according to Sky Sports. It is said that the Blues would be happy to pay the entire amount in installments rather than as a lump sum, though, with the structure of any deal thought to be a major sticking point in terms of reaching an agreement with Benfica.

Fernandez’s current employers are still hoping to convince him to sign a new and improved contract to ward off the prospect of a January move and ensure that more money can be gained from a sale at the end of the season. He has only been on their books since last summer when he joined for a modest fee of just over £12m from River Plate, and those in power at Benfica would prefer to keep hold of him for now unless his full release clause is paid this month.