Chelsea manager Maresca: "The club spent £100m on Enzo? That is not my problem"

Enzo Fernandez has not impressed at the Bridge since his record-breaking transfer from Benfica almost two years ago. Chelsea spent over £100m on him a month after he won the 2022 World Cup with Argentina, but after 74 appearances with the club, the midfielder has not been able to live up to the price-tag.

It seems the 23-year-old has even lost his place in the starting XI, as new manager Maresca looks to have settled for Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo as his preferred pairing in midfield following the game against Liverpool in October. As Chelsea head to Manchester to take on Man United on Sunday, Maresca commented on the switch. “It’s a matter of balance. Romeo and Moi give us physicality and strength in the middle," he explained.

On the player's price-tag, theItalian added: "If you remember, questions were asked about Moi (Moises Caicedo) and the price the club paid for him. That is not an Enzo problem or a Moi problem. Just because the club spent £100m, people expect them to be the best player. It is not about how much you paid. At the end of the day, they are human beings and if you pay £100m, that is not my problem. If you want to buy me then you pay money. That does not mean that every game you have to be the best. At the end of the day, they are football players and they cannot always be at the top level".

The Argentine looks to be set to spectate the United game from the bench, as Lavia is being tipped to start in his place. Nevertheless, the Chelsea manager insists he has 100% faith in the player. “I still trust Enzo,” Maresca said in his pre-match press conference. “In this moment, I know you are looking for some different reasons for Enzo [not starting], but it’s very simple. He’s not playing in this moment, we have so many games, he’s going to play for sure in the future," he reassured. "And it doesn’t mean Romeo and Moi are always going to play. At the moment one of them drops [their levels], probably we will change it.”

 

November 1, 2024