Troy Deeney believes that for £105m Chelsea need to try every way possible to get Enzo Fernandez into the starting line-up.
Fernandez arrived at Stamford Bridge for a then British record from Portuguese side Benfica and impressed in his first six months at the club.
However, it’s fair to say that since the beginning of last season he’s struggled to show his best form on a consistent basis for the Blues.
Deeney feels Chelsea need to try and get Fernandez in the starting line-up
The World Cup winner was involved in a racism incident over the summer which didn’t go down well with his team-mates at the time.
That situation was subsequently dealt with and Fernandez was made part of the club’s leadership group by Enzo Maresca and has captained the side on occasions this season.
There are still plenty of questions about the midfielder and where to play him to ensure you get the best out of him, and he’s recently lost his place in the side to Romeo Lavia.
Recent reports have linked him with a possible swap deal involving Real Madrid star Aurelien Tchouameni, although those are believed to be wide of the mark.
Former Blue Jason Cundy feels Chelsea’s strongest midfield is Lavia and Moises Caicedo, and it’s hard to argue against that given the team seems to have a better balance and more defensive stability with the pair.
However, former Premier League striker Deeney feels Chelsea have got to try every way possible to get the Argentina international into the side.
“I think you have to give Enzo Fernandez that benefit of the doubt,” he told talkSPORT as cited on X.com.
“I think people underestimate just how good Lavia is. He was excellent at Southampton. If he can get his injury problems behind him, he’ll be an excellent addition to that team.
“I think also for £105m, yeah, you’ve got to try every possible way to get him started.”
Fernandez got three assists in Thursday night’s 8-0 win against Noah and was substituted at half time, although he’s likely to find himself back on the bench for Sunday’s game against Arsenal.
