He said no to Liverpool and Enzo Fernandez is now paying karma

Benfica coach Roger Schmidt criticised Enzo Fernandez for travelling to Argentina to welcome in the New Year against club orders and vowed that "there will be consequences". Schmidt said the Argentine midfielder "did not have permission" to travel and that what he did "is not acceptable", during a press conference ahead of Friday's Portuguese League game against Portimonense.

"He didn't have permission to go to Argentina and he missed training, that's not acceptable, so there will be consequences," he mentioned, who did not specify the possible sanction. However, he assured that Enzo Fernandez is "a very good boy and a fantastic player", and that he understands that his situation "is not easy". Enzo "played in the World Cup, became world champion, and there have been offers with a lot of money on the table that, as a young player, can be a bit confusing, something that everyone can understand," he said.

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The 21-year-old midfielder is at the centre of controversy in Portugal following his 'escape' to his homeland. After Argentina's Qatar 2022 World Cup triumph, Enzo Fernandez started against Sporting Braga on the 30th in a game in which he showed visible wear and tear on the pitch. He then travelled to Buenos Aires to celebrate the end of the year, returned to Lisbon on 3 January and missed two Benfica training sessions.

Portuguese media interpreted the move as an attempt to force his exit to Chelsea, who are tipped as his most likely destination. However, Benfica took a step back and will not allow the Argentine to leave for London, so he is already paying karma after saying no to Liverpool and German coach Jürgen Klopp.

<strong>Liverpool offered 100 million</strong>

Liverpool's first offer of 100 million was rejected. But then came Chelsea with €127m on the table, or as a promise, really. Just when it looked as if Benfica's management would accept the Londoners' payment terms, it all fell through. The intention of Todd Boehly's management was to pay 85 million euros by direct transfer and then finance the rest, as well as bringing in a player on loan.