JAVIER PASTORE SLAMS LIAM ROSENIOR’S "UNFAIR" SUSPENSION OF STAR ENZO FERNANDEZ
Enzo Fernandez’s agent warns Chelsea over "unfair" treatment as Real Madrid rumours swirl ahead of the World Cup.
Enzo Fernandez’s agent isn’t holding back; he just blasted Chelsea’s head coach, Liam Rosenior, and the higher-ups, calling the decision to bench Fernandez “completely unfair.” Fernandez, fresh off a World Cup win with Argentina, got punished after saying in an interview that he’d like to live in Madrid someday. Of course, that kicked off a round of speculation connecting him to Real Madrid.
His agent, Javier Pastore, who used to play for PSG, can’t believe Chelsea took such a hard line. Rosenior made it official: Fernandez won’t play in Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final against Port Vale, or next weekend’s key Premier League meeting with Manchester City. The coach said Fernandez crossed the line when it comes to the club’s values, after talking about his interest in Spain.
But Pastore says that’s just not right. “This punishment doesn’t fit at all. You’re banning one of Chelsea’s most important players from two really crucial games that could decide if they make the Champions League,” he told The Athletic. Pastore says Fernandez is an anchor for the squad and, in his view, there’s no real justification for such a harsh response.
All this goes back to Fernandez telling an interviewer he’d like to live in Spain one day. Rosenior saw that as a distraction and disrespectful to the club, but Pastore insists his client was just honest about his lifestyle preferences, not making a pitch for a Real Madrid move. According to Pastore, Fernandez didn’t ask for this, and even though he accepted the coach’s call because he’s professional and respects the team, he still doesn’t get why it happened. “He never mentioned any club or said he wanted to leave Chelsea, not even close,” Pastore added. Fernandez only brought up Madrid because it reminds him of Buenos Aires, with the language and culture. “He never said he wanted to leave Chelsea or London,” Pastore pointed out.
And the timing couldn’t be messier. The club and Fernandez’s team have been talking about a possible contract extension for the £107 million signing, but this drama just put everything under a microscope. Pastore warned the board that if they don’t reach a new deal by the end of this summer’s World Cup, Fernandez will start looking at other clubs. That’s more pressure on a club already juggling internal issues. Pastore blamed journalists for overhyping Fernandez’s comments, insisting, “He never said he wanted to leave reporters just twisted things.”
Fernandez isn’t the only one clashing with Rosenior, either. The manager recently had to deal with Marc Cucurella’s interview about wanting to go back to Barcelona. Cucurella didn’t get suspended, but Rosenior made it clear he wasn’t happy those views went public instead of being handled inside the club. So, there’s definitely more than one fire to put out at Cobham these days.
CHELSEA OPEN TALKS WITH JORGE MENDES FOR DORTMUND’S VERSATILE FORWARD KARIM ADEYEMI
Chelsea contact Jorge Mendes for Karim Adeyemi. See why Man United and Newcastle could hijack the €70m deal.
Chelsea reached out to Jorge Mendes, the well-known agent, hoping to land Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund. But things aren’t simple. Manchester United and Newcastle United are also circling, and Chelsea might just miss out.
Adeyemi joined Dortmund in 2022, and he’s locked in there until 2027. Since then, he’s really made a name for himself in the Bundesliga, showing off his versatility as both a winger and a forward. This season, he’s mostly played as a second striker, netting 10 goals and providing five assists over 37 matches across all competitions.
Chelsea seems pretty impressed. They’ve already connected with Mendes to talk about a deal for the 24-year-old, and reports say they’re keeping talks pretty active. But it’s not just them; Man United have apparently made Adeyemi their top transfer target, and Newcastle are interested too.
Dortmund actually want to keep Adeyemi and has put a new contract on the table, but there’s a snag: his agents want a release clause worth €80 million (£69.7m). Dortmund aren’t willing to go that high. Instead, they’re open to selling for a bit less, around €65-70 million, or up to £61 million, in the summer.
That’s a price Chelsea can handle, but the German reports think it’s more likely Adeyemi ends up with Manchester United or Newcastle for a slightly lower fee, maybe €60-65 million (up to £56.6m). Mendes is also exploring backup options and could float Adeyemi’s name to Bayern or PSG.
Then there’s the whole Champions League angle. Chelsea’s status is in doubt for next season, and questions are swirling around manager Liam Rosenior’s future. That uncertainty doesn’t help their pitch. Meanwhile, United look set to finish high in the Premier League and secure Champions League football, which probably makes them a more appealing landing spot for Adeyemi right now.
CHELSEA TEENAGER ESTEVAO "DEVASTATED" AND IN TEARS FOLLOWING EARLY HAMSTRING WITHDRAWAL
Chelsea lost 1-0 to Manchester United. Estevao is injured, and the Blues are now scoreless in four straight games.
Liam Rosenior said Chelsea’s Estevao was “devastated” and in tears after getting injured during Saturday’s 1-0 home loss to Manchester United. Estevao, just 18, started well but had to come off after only 16 minutes.
It looked like he hurt his hamstring while pushing forward against United. Rosenior put on Alejandro Garnacho to replace him, but Garnacho struggled too, going up against his old team.
After the match, Rosenior talked about Estevao, who’s desperate to make the World Cup squad this summer. “He was devastated; he was crying at half-time,” Rosenior explained.
“It looks like his hamstring. He was running through on goal and pulled it right then.”
Now Estevao’s future, even for Tuesday’s match at Brighton, looks uncertain. Enzo Fernandez, who left late in the game, is also in doubt, but Rosenior sounded more hopeful about him. “I think it was his calf,” he said. “I’m hoping it was just a cramp. We need him for Tuesday.”
Chelsea’s defeat is their fourth straight Premier League loss without finding the net. By the end of the weekend, they could be seven points away from the Champions League spots. United only needed one shot on target; Matheus Cunha scored in the first half, and that was enough.
“It’s so tough,” Rosenior said afterwards. “They had one shot on target when we were down to ten men.
“We just kept coming at them and hit the woodwork four times. I don’t want the players to get stuck thinking the world’s against us. We have to keep fighting.”
He went on: “We need to defend those moments better. We’re making small errors, and every time, the ball ends up in our net. That has to stop.
“It all comes down to results, and we should’ve won today. Every little thing adds up, but we’ll keep working hard.”
After Brighton, Chelsea go up against Leeds in the FA Cup semi-final next Sunday.
