Enzo Fernández was the great revelation of the World Cup. Three months after making his Benfica debut and a year and a half after returning to River from loan in Defense and Justice, he was a key element in the long-awaited third world title that the Argentina national team conquered inside Qatar 2022.
Mainly he shone as a central midfielderthat place that was opened due to the compromised physical conditions of Leandro Paredes, but he also settled very well as an insider on the left and also as a double 5 together with Paredes himself, whose inclusion in some moments of the matches allowed him to melt more in attack.
He scored a great goal against Mexico, hit a shot from the post and was Argentina’s best in extra time against the Netherlands and as the games progressed he increasingly became the master of the game for the national team . Not in vain did he win the prize for the best young player of the tournament and the giants of Europe have their sights set on him.
After his second spell at River, being one of the figures in the 2021 Professional Soccer League champion team, he went to Benfica in exchange for 10 million euros for 75% of his passa figure which would later rise to 18 million upon the achievement of four objectives of 2 million each.
He quickly won ownership, with goals and great performances, in both the Portuguese league and the Champions League, where he topped a group he shared with none other than Lionel Messi’s PSG and Italy’s Juventus. This, added to the repercussion obtained with the World Cup, has led the Portuguese club to hold out: they won’t let you go for less than your buy clause, i.e. 120 million euros.
In this context, the club that can’t wait to take it is the Manchester United. While the offer that transcended the Liverpool They were 100 million euros, insufficient, at Old Trafford they were willing to pay the millionaire sum, winning the match against those of Anfield, who in the last few hours confirmed the signing of the Dutchman Cody Gakpo.
Thus, the 21-year-old midfielder could share a squad with Lisandro Martínezanother of the 26 world champions with Scaleneta.
Other interested parties are Real Madrid. On the advice of the Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, and advisers Jorge Valdano and Vicente del Bosque, the ‘Merengue’ are looking for the Argentine, even if they can’t wait for the English to arrive Jude Bellinghamanother of the youngsters with great projection.
If the transfer is completed in the above figure, River will receive almost 30 million euros, which would triple the 10 million they initially sold it for. Moreover, it will become the most expensive sale of an Argentine footballer in all of history.
The list of the most expensive Argentine footballers
1st Gonzalo Higuain
After scoring 36 goals in Serie A 2015-16, a record number in the history of the Italian league, the ‘Pipita’ passed from Napoli to Juventus for 90 million euros.
Neapolitan fans crossed over for the man born in France, but he got what he was denied: win the shield. In three seasons a Old ladyhe won three league titles, two Italian Cups and 66 goals in 149 games played.
2nd and 3rd Angelo Di Maria
It’s a curiosity, because ‘Angelito’ appears twice. after the consecration champion of the Champions League 2013-14 with Real Madrid, to have been selected in the final against Atlético del Cholo Simeone, He was transferred to Manchester United for 75 million euros.
There he experienced the worst time of his career in Europe, in contrast to the Dutch Louis VanGaal, which he defined as “the worst technician” he had.
Little continuity, zero adaptation to the city and, after just one season in English football, He went to Paris Saint Germain for 63 million euros, where he is reunited with his game. There he managed 92 goals in 295 games and won 19 local titles in seven seasons.
4th Ernan Crespo
Emerged in River Plate and champion of the 1996 Copa Libertadores by scoring two goals in the final, Hernan Crespo He played most of his career in Italian football and had to go through a logical period of adjustment to the European elite.
Between the 1998-99 and 99-00 seasons, he definitely exploded. He scored 54 goals in 85 PJs and in Italy they began to know the Crespo that the Argentines, especially the fans of Slumdog Millionaire, had already known for some time.
These numbers earned him Lazio, reigning Serie A champions, to buy him for the 2000-01 season for 57 million euros. They failed to repeat the title, but Valdanito’s goals kept coming. In two seasons with the team from the capital, 48 goals in 73 games before being sold, first to Inter and then to Milan.
5th Mauro Icardi
The striker from Rosario lived his best years in the national team Inter in Milan. He has not won any titles, having played in Italy during Juventus’ dominance, but he was top scorer twice (2014-15 and 2017-18 seasons) and his 124 goals earned him the title of seventh top scorer in neroazzurri history.
He arrived as an inexperienced young man who had made his first weapons at Sampdoria as a teenager, he started off like a star to Paris Saint Germain for 50 million euros.
He had better times in France, worse times and, without a place in a striker crowded with the likes of Messi, Neymar, Mbappé and Di María, he ended up at Galatasaray in Turkey.
Then they appear Nicola Otamendi (€44.5m from Valencia to Manchester City), Juan Sebastian Veron (42.6 from Lazio to Manchester United) e Javier Pastore (42 from Palermo to PSG).
The list ends with four others worth 40 million euros each: Hernan Crespo in his transfer from Lazio to Inter; Sergio Aguero when he moved from Atlético Madrid to Manchester City; Paul Dybala when he moved from Palermo to Juventus e Leandro Paredes when he was bought by PSG when he was playing at Zenit.
Source: Clarin
Jason Root is the go-to source for sports coverage at News Rebeat. With a passion for athletics and an in-depth knowledge of the latest sports trends, Jason provides comprehensive and engaging analysis of the world of sports.