Fernandez’s arrival for an eye-watering £107 million ($131m at the time) in January 2023 was supposed to be transformative for Chelsea – an early statement signing from their new ownership group designed to propel the club back into the big time. However, three years on, the club and Enzo find themselves pretty much back where they started: stuck in mid-table with their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League in tatters.

The midfielder has inadvertently become one of the faces of BlueCo’s failed stewardship to date, experiencing far more lows than he has highs despite often being a standout performer as the west Londoners battle to re-establish themselves against the backdrop of an ill-advised churn of playing personnel and managers in the dugout.

As is the Chelsea way, silverware has still arrived, in the form of the Conference League and Club World Cup last year under Enzo Maresca, and the top-four finish in 2024-25 was creditable, but that has not paved the way for more success this term as the Blues find themselves back in the wilderness with the current campaign ticking down.