In the midst of the whirlwind hurtling through Chelsea sits Enzo Fernandez, the most expensive footballer in Britain, serene and confident, at ease with the price tag and every inch the superstar signing.
There is a large diamond in both of his ears, a sharp haircut and a gleaming smile. Intricate tattoo designs disappear beneath the sleeves of his shirt. Most of the illustrations have a religious significance, he explains, which seems appropriate as he talks about keeping the faith through turbulent times.
‘Trust us,’ says Fernandez. ‘Trust the players. Trust the backroom staff. Trust the manager. This is my message to the fans. Never forget we are representing you. We are there for you.
‘We are all moving in the same direction. We have a lot of new faces here. It is a restructuring of the club, and the playing staff. Be patient. We are giving everything we have, trying to win games. Then we can start to turn things around.’
No one embodies the whirlwind quite like Fernandez. This time last year, when Chelsea were crowned club world champions and Roman Abramovich was the owner, Fernandez was still at River Plate, in Argentina, having broken into the first team and earned a new contract.
Enzo Fernandez has urged disgruntled Chelsea fans to keep the faith despite their struggles
The Argentine is the most expensive footballer in Britain after joining for a huge £107million
And the central midfielder called on supporters to ‘trust’ the players and show their patience
Since then, his world has turned at incredible speed. First, a move to Benfica, then World Cup glory with Argentina and, at 22, a move to Chelsea for a fee of £107million to make a dream forged as a child in Buenos Aires come true.
‘We used to tune in on Sunday mornings,’ says Fernandez. ‘I know exactly the times. Four hours’ difference in the winter, three hours’ in the summer.
‘Me and my dad, sitting in bed, drinking herbal tea and watching the Premier League on television. Teams like Chelsea and Manchester United. Players like Carlos Tevez, (Sergio) ‘Kun’ Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain. It’s always been a dream of mine.’
Fernandez, whose father named him after River Plate’s legendary Uruguayan star Enzo Francescoli, joined the club at the age of six and made his first-team debut at 19.
On loan at Defensa y Justicia under boss Hernan Crespo, the former Chelsea and Argentina striker, he won the Copa Sudamericana, the equivalent of the Europa League, before returning to River…