Jose Mourinho has reportedly requested Real Madrid sign a midfield playmaker this summer, but a deal for Enzo Fernandez is viewed as being financially challenging.
Real Madrid have already confirmed the signings of Marc Cucurella, Bernardo Silva, Ibrahima Konate and Denzel Dumfries since Mourinho’s return to the club was confirmed.
According to Marca, Mourinho has specifically requested Real Madrid sign a further two players in the transfer window with another centre back and a midfield creator seen as priorities.
Both Fernandez and West Ham star Mateus Fernandes are targets, but the report claims deals would be ‘far from financially feasible for the club’.
Daily Mail Sport reported that while Mourinho has identified Fernandez as a target, Chelsea have slapped a £120m valuation on the 25-year-old Argentina international.
Despite reports on Wednesday claiming Madrid had officially opened club-to-club talks, Chelsea sources told Daily Mail Sport that they had not yet been contacted by their La Liga counterparts to formally begin discussing a deal for Fernandez.
Enzo Fernandez is a Real Madrid target but a deal is claimed to be ‘financially far from feasible’
Mourinho has reportedly requested a midfield playmaker as one of two additional signings
Mateus Fernandes has been targeted but a deal for the West Ham star is also expected to be too expensive
The Premier League side are anticipating an approach, while personal terms are not expected to be an issue between Fernandez and Madrid.
Fernandez is known to be interested in the move to Madrid, while his former Chelsea team-mate Cucurella has talked up the prospect of the pair reuniting in the Spanish capital.
‘He’s a great player and a friend of mine,’ Cucurella told Marca.
‘He congratulated me on the signing. I hope it happens. I would be very happy.
‘We were very happy at Chelsea, and to have the opportunity to both sign for Real Madrid in the same summer. I hope he’s lucky and becomes a Real Madrid player.’
Fernandes would also prove an expensive deal, with West Ham setting an asking price of £85m for the midfielder despite their relegation from the Premier League.
Man United and Tottenham have both been pushing to sign the Portuguese international.
Morocco’s World Cup star Ayyoub Bouaddi, 18, has reportedly been viewed as an alternate option for Real Madrid.
The teenager, who plays for Lille, is claimed to be available for around £52million.
Mourinho has also reportedly put forward Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni and Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck as potential options as a new centre back.
