Marc Cucurella says he was completely unaware of Chelsea team-mate Enzo Fernandez at the start of the World Cup and had to Google him after being impressed by his performances for Argentina.

The 22-year-old had not started for his nation prior to the tournament in Qatar and began on the bench for the side’s shock opening group game defeat to Saudi Arabia.

But he started the subsequent six matches and became a key player en route to Argentina’s World Cup win providing bite and tenacity off the ball, as well as composure and vision on it.

His performances in Qatar, coupled with his fine form for Benfica, saw Fernandez become the most expensive player in Premier League history when Chelsea agreed to pay £106.8million on deadline day.

Fernandez’s rapid ascent from the Argentinian league to becoming the Premier League’s record signing even caught new team-mate Cucurella off guard, with the Spaniard having never heard of the midfielder prior to his breakout World Cup campaign.

The former Brighton defender had been keen to see how his old team-mate Alexis Mac Allister got on in Qatar and tuned in to watch Argentina’s matches only to be blown away by Fernandez – though he had no idea who he was at the time and had to whip out his phone and search him.

“I liked to watch matches in which my friends were playing, so I was watching Argentina because of Alexis,” Cucurella told the South American edition of ESPN’s Sports Center, via the Metro.

“I think I said, ‘I really like number 24, he’s very good!’ But I didn’t even know where he played! I had to go and search on my phone!

“As I watched more games, I told my family and friends that I really liked him a lot. And then he came to Chelsea!

“I told Enzo that I had liked him at the World Cup. He’s a good guy, I’m waiting for him to cook me a barbeque.

“He is very young, but he is very talented with the ball and he is intelligent. He’s still adapting but he’s already played some good games. We have [signed] a great midfielder.”

Fernandez has become an instant fans’ favourite at Chelsea, dictating the tempo and rhythm of matches with his vast array of passing as well as being a tough-tackling, all-action presence out of possession.

Tags: Chelsea, Enzo Fernandez, Marc Cucurella

Enzo Fernandez has outlined the moment his connection with supporters was deepened following last night’s Round of 16 victory over Borussia Dortmund.

Signed from Portuguese giants Benfica in January for a club-record fee of £106million, Fernandez has quickly become a key figure in the Chelsea side.

Fernandez started once again against Dortmund last night (Tuesday) and helped Chelsea overturn a first-leg deficit to secure their place in the Champions League quarter-finals with a 2-0 victory on the night, to go through 2-1 on aggregate.

And it was during the post-match celebrations that a young supporter ran onto the Stamford Bridge pitch in tears to ask the 22-year-old for his shirt. It was a moment that resonated with Fernandez.

“It touched my heart when the boy ran out to come and see me,” the World Cup winner explained.

“It was such a special moment because he wanted to see me and he gave me a quick hug. It made me feel even more connected with the fans. I love getting to know the fans and the trust that they have in me is incredible. I feel at home.”

Chelsea will have to wait until the end of next week to discover who they will face in the quarter-finals; there is the potential for Fernandez to come up against his former club Benfica. But the midfielder is only focused on helping Chelsea continue their turnaround under Graham Potter following back-to-back victories.

He said: “We are going to be staying on this path and we hope things carry on improving. It was a great plan from our coaches for the game [against Dortmund]. We had trust that the team could do it. We had more people running in behind and many people working at the back. We just had to do our jobs and follow that game plan.

“When we play at home, it helps the confidence of the group. We played really well and we believe in the path that we are working on. I am really happy here and I am getting to know my teammates better. I am feeling more confident. We all are after our second win. We hope that we can be the champions again.”

Photo Credit: Twitter

Tags: Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Enzo Fernandez