Frank Leboeuf claims that ‘nobody’ wants Enzo Fernandez at Chelsea and has urged Xabi Alonso to sell the Argentina international before transfer deadline day.
Fernandez’s future at Stamford Bridge has been uncertain for many months after the midfielder publicly shared his ambition to play for Real Madrid one day.
The sacking of Enzo Maresca and failure to qualify for Europe further unsettled the 25-year-old, who was booed by a portion of Chelsea fans during a pre-season friendly at Stamford Bridge.
While Real Madrid are no longer interested, Maresca is keen to reunite with Fernandez at Manchester City, with the Blues valuing the World Cup winner at over £120million.
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Chelsea are working on a deal to sign Monaco’s Lamine Camara as a potential replacement, but with just over 24 hours before the summer transfer window closes, there is every chance Fernandez remains in west London for the season.
Former Chelsea defender Leboeuf believes that would be a very bad idea for all parties, telling ESPN: ‘Enzo Fernandez, I think he’s gone.
‘We have the case with Julian Alvarez. A club can fight and try to keep a player but if the player wants to go, he has to go because there is no way that he would be fully fit, fully fit also psychologically, to give 100 per cent.
‘I think nobody wants Enzo Fernandez to stay. It’s time for him to go because he decided to go because he showed last season because of his comment that he wants to leave.
‘So, bye-bye. Good luck.’
Fernandez came off the bench in Chelsea’s season opener against Fulham but has not been in the squad for their last two matches, including Sunday’s 4-3 win over Brighton.
Robert Sanchez was also absent, with new signing Emiliano Martinez starting in goal just hours after the club confirmed his £8.5m transfer from Aston Villa.
Alonso moved quickly to sign the veteran shot-stopper after Sanchez made several huge errors in the win against Fulham and the Spaniard now appears to have no future at Stamford Bridge.
Leboeuf admitted he was ‘not surprised’ that Sanchez and Fernandez had been dropped from the squad.
‘Everybody made a statement about Robert Sanchez after what happened in the last game that he played and the goal he conceded,’ the France World Cup winner added.
‘It was kind of an emergency and it’s why Emiliano Martinez signed. He signed in the morning and played in the afternoon.
‘It’s only fair, that’s what it is. We play in a world of competition, and you have to accept that competition.
‘It’s been a while since we warned everybody about Robert Sanchez’s consistency and that’s why they made that choice and very quickly.’
It remains to be seen where Fernandez and Sanchez are playing when Chelsea travel to title favourites Arsenal next Sunday.
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