Enzo Fernandez transfer fee too ‘lumpy’ for Newcastle with Liverpool pre-agreement in place

Premier League duo Liverpool and Newcastle United have been widely linked with a move for Argentinian World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez and Magpies manager Eddie Howe has moved to address the rumours.

Speaking to the media ahead of his club’s return to action, Howe said he was aware of Fernandez but admitted the fee for the 21-year-old Benfica midfielder might be too high for his Newcastle outfit, who have been relatively cautious in the market since the £300m takeover by a Saudi-led consortium in October last year.

£100 million has been mooted as the figure to get a deal done quickly for Fernandez. However, Liverpool appear to hold the upper hand with both the Agentinian media and Portuguese press reporting a pre-agreement is already in place with the Reds.

Howe said: "I’m aware of him [Fernandez], and I know him. But I think the transfer fee might be quite lumpy."

Liverpool conducted business with Benfica in the summer to sign Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez for an initial £64m fee and it would make sense for the Reds to maintain a close working relationship with the Portuguese side.

Anfield bosses have reportedly thrashed out an accord with Benfica to sign Fernandez in the summer of 2023 as they anticipated interest from Manchester City and Manchester United.

There will be some sections of supporters who’ll hope Liverpool could swoop for the World Cup 2022 Young Player of the Tournament in January. Klopp’s men languish sixth in the Premier League table and bolstering their options for the second half of the season would augment the Reds’ chances of claiming a top-four finish.

However, the potential arrival of Fernandez next month looks in serious doubt. Not since 2019 have the Eagles claimed the Portuguese title. Yet this season, it looks very much theirs to lose. Benfica sit at the summit of the table and are eight points clear of second-placed Porto. They’ll want to keep all of their players in a bid for the silverware.

And Estadio de Luz boss Roger Schmidt outlined in October that he ‘doesn’t see’ Benfica losing Fernandez after the World Cup.

He told Portuguese media outlet Record: “My son likes Enzo, the way he plays and so do I. Everybody likes him, plays good football. My family has always grown up in the middle of football, my wife and son have been to the stadium, they like the clubs where I am.

“I don’t foresee not having Enzo after the World Cup, he’s where he’s supposed to be to develop. It’s very good for him and for us if we stay a while longer at Benfica.”