Caicedo urges Real Madrid target Fernandez to remain at Chelsea

Moises Caicedo has stressed his desire for Enzo Fernandez to remain at Chelsea this summer amid persistent speculation linking the 25-year-old with a move to LaLiga giants Real Madrid.

Fernandez's future at Stamford Bridge has been up in the air for some time following comments he made during the 2025-26 season, when Liam Rosenior was in charge. The Argentinian hinted at a potential move to the Spanish capital, resulting in him being dropped by Chelsea, who finished 10th in the Premier League last season.

Madrid deny contact

At the start of July, however, Madrid released a statement denying they had been in contact over a move for the Argentina international, who has still not rejoined Chelsea for their pre-season tour after helping his nation reach the World Cup final this summer.

Since arriving at Chelsea from Benfica in January 2023 in what was then a Premier League-record deal, Fernandez has made 169 appearances in all competitions. Reports have suggested that if a move for Fernandez materialised, Chelsea would seek a transfer fee of £120m for a player who still has six years remaining on his contract.

'A great person'

Asked about his teammate's future, Caicedo was keen to show his support while respecting Fernandez's decision-making.

"I love Enzo, he knows I have a lot of respect for him because, as we know, the player is not just a player, he is a great person," Caicedo told reporters. "I want him to stay, but I'm not going to talk about that because if he stays here, it's going to be massive for us."

He added: "Yes, I just want the best for him and for sure he is going to think, and he will do what is best for him."

Fernandez's remarkable season

No Premier League player has played more games in all competitions than Fernandez, who racked up 61 appearances in 2025-26 — including the Club World Cup. His 26 goal contributions (16 goals and 10 assists) were only bettered by Joao Pedro (29) within the Chelsea squad.

Fernandez carried that form into the World Cup for Argentina, scoring two goals in seven appearances to help Lionel Scaloni's side reach the final, which they lost to Spain. One of those strikes came in the semi-final against England, where Fernandez delivered a stunning finish into the bottom-left corner to help Argentina to a 2-1 victory and send the Three Lions home.

Pressure? No problem

Asked whether Fernandez will cope with the pressure of being unpopular with English fans after the World Cup, Caicedo gave a confident response. "Yeah, 100%. He is a strong player. He has a strong mentality. That's why he's a world champion. So, for sure, he's going to manage the pressure, and he's going to continue how he finished," Caicedo said.

A busy summer at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea have once again been busy in the summer transfer window, with 10 new arrivals, including Morgan Rogers, Maxence Lacroix, Marco Palestra and Fernandez's compatriot Valentin Barco.

The Blues continue their pre-season preparations against Juventus on Wednesday, before further fixtures against AC Milan and Johor Darul Ta'zim. Their first Premier League opponents of the season will be London rivals Fulham on August 24.