Chelsea have offered Benfica one of their starman inorder to complete the singing of Enzo Fernandez

 Benfica has maintained from the start that Fernandez's £106million release clause be met for a transfer to be completed. Chelsea have remained reluctant to do that, although they have offered instalments in an offer for the Argentinian.

And it has been reported that players have been used as part of the bargaining chip to get the deal done. Hakim Ziyech has been offered as a permanent swap deal, with January arrivals David Datro Fofana and Andrey Santos joining Benfica on loan as part of the deal too.

Benfica though grew unhappy with Chelsea’s attempts to spread the cost of the deal, instead wanting to receive it all at once, thus resulting in the Blues moving on to other transfer targets leaving Fernandez, who had pushed for a move away, looking likely to remain in Portugal.

Race not over

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In an unlikely twist, the future of Fernandez may not be as set in stone as it appears. In an interview with GiveMeSport, Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth said: "Fernandez has had a few issues. He’s been dropped for a game, he’s tried to make peace with the club.

"There was a couple of social media posts of him watching the game at the stadium. He’s back in training now.

"The people I’m speaking to in Portugal who’ve got close links to Benfica, are telling me this one doesn’t feel over, simply because his head was turned so much earlier in the window."

With two weeks to go there is still time for another turn in this saga