After Atlético de Madrid's rejection of Julián Álvarez, the white club accelerates the search for a top-tier midfielder and the world champion emerges as José Mourinho's priority
While focused on the 2026 World Cup with the Argentine National Team, Enzo Fernández is once again at the center of the European transfer market. According to the Spanish newspaper Marca, the Chelsea midfielder has become the main target of the Real Madridto strengthen one of the key positions for the upcoming season.
The Merengues are undergoing a deep renewal process after a title-less campaign. With José Mourinho already confirmed as coach, the management led by Florentino Pérez has begun restructuring the squad and has finalized several signings, including Ibrahima Konaté, Denzel Dumfries, Marc Cucurella, and Bernardo Silva.
However, the club's intention is to add a key figure for the midfield and the name at the top of the list is that of the world champion with Argentina. According to information published in Spain, Mourinho himself sees Enzo as an ideal piece to lead the new Madrid midfield.
Mourinho wants to strengthen Real Madrid's midfield with Enzo Fernández
The interest from Real Madrid also arises after their failed attempt to sign Julián Álvarez. Atlético de Madrid recently rejected an offer of 150 million euros for the Argentine forward and referred to the buyout clause in his contract, a figure much higher than the proposal made by their classic rival.
In light of this scenario, the white club would be willing to allocate part of those resources to search for another Argentine player. However, negotiations for Enzo do not appear to be straightforward either. Chelsea considers the midfielder one of the fundamental pieces of its sports project and has no intention of easily parting with him. According to Marca, the English club maintains a valuation that would not drop below 120 million euros, a figure similar to what they paid to acquire him from Benfica.
At 25 years old, Fernández is experiencing one of the best moments of his career. Established as a starter both at Chelsea and with the Argentine National Team, he has become one of the most sought-after midfielders in world football thanks to his ability to organize play, his physical deployment, and his influence in both areas of the field.
Enzo Fernández is a key player for Chelsea
For now, the former River remains focused on defending the world title with the Albiceleste. In fact, he was a starter and played the full 90 minutes in the 3-0 victory over Algeria in the debut of Lionel Scaloni's team. However, once the World Cup is over, his future promises to become one of the most important topics in the European market.
Enzo Fernández's numbers at Chelsea
Since his arrival at the London club in early 2023, the San Martín native has played 13,375 minutes, distributed over 169 matches, in which he scored 31 goals, provided 30 assists, and received 37 yellow cards. In terms of titles, he has won 2: the 2024/25 Conference League and the 2025 Club World Cup.
