Chelsea confirm Enzo Fernandez’s shirt number after £106.8m arrival

Enzo Fernandez has arrived at Chelsea and his shirt number has now been confirmed.

The 22-year-old signed an eight-and-a-half-year deal at Chelsea until June 2031 after a club and British record fee of £106.8 million was agreed with Benfica on transfer deadline day.

Fernandez pushed for a move and his wish was granted by Benfica, which saw Chelsea complete the blockbuster transfer in the final minutes of the January transfer window to seal their eighth signing.

After undergoing his medicals in Portugal, Fernandez flew to England on Wednesday afternoon to begin his new chapter in the capital.

Fernandez was whisked away for media duties with Chelsea and confirmation was expected of what shirt number the Argentine would take.

He wore the number 13 shirt for Benfica, which is worn by Marcus Bettinelli at Chelsea, while the number 24 he wears for Argentina is taken by Reece James.

Following the departure of Jorginho to Arsenal, Fernandez has opted to take the number five shirt at Chelsea, it has been confirmed.

Upon his arrival, he said: I am grateful to Chelsea and its ownership for doing everything they could to make me a part of this project. I’m happy and excited to join the Pride of London, to play in the best league in the world and to compete for the biggest trophies.

“I can’t wait to play in front of our fans and help my teammates on and off the pitch.”

When Fernandez could make his debut is unclear, however it could come as early as this Friday when Chelsea face Fulham in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge.

Fernandez joined David Datro Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Andrey Santos, Joao Felix, Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke and Malo Gusto at Chelsea last month following a frantic window that totalled a spend in excess of £300 million.

Noni Madueke has already hailed his new teammate as a born winner, saying: “I watched him play at the World Cup and he has such top qualities. He is a great player, and obviously he has proven that he is a born winner by lifting the World Cup.

“He is going to bring a winning mentality to the team, which I think is priceless. I can’t wait to meet him, and get on the pitch with him!”