Chelsea ended the transfer window without a replacement for Enzo Fernandez, but they reportedly made direct contact with Tottenham Hotspur over midfielder Lucas Bergvall, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Lilywhites were not willing to sell the midfielder.
Romano, reporting on his YouTube channel, said Chelsea's football department reached out to establish whether Bergvall could be made available.
"They made some calls to understand the situation of Lucas Bergvall at Tottenham, so it's true that there were some conversations to understand if Bergvall could be available," Romano said.
"But my understanding is that Tottenham now wants to keep the player, so it's not an easy one."
There is no indication that negotiations have advanced, with Tottenham showing no willingness to sell Bergvall. Chelsea now have limited time to decide whether to make a formal offer or look elsewhere for a replacement.
Why Chelsea Chased Late Midfield Replacement
Fernandez’s departure created the vacancy Chelsea tried to fill on the very day the transfer window slammed shut. Manchester City and Chelsea agreed on a £125m package for the Argentine midfielder, matching the British transfer record set by Alexander Isak’s move from Newcastle to Liverpool.
The Argentine completed a medical before putting pen to paper on a five-year deal. The transfer has reunited him with Enzo Maresca, his former manager at Chelsea, who is now in charge at City.
Selling Fernandez for that price works financially for Chelsea, who signed him from Benfica for around £107m and now stand to make a profit on the deal. His departure, however, leaves Chelsea needing to replace him in midfield.
Chelsea's first attempts to replace Fernandez did not work out. A £38.5m bid for Monaco's Lamine Camara fell below the French club's valuation, and the talks stalled.
They believed they were set to sign Camara in the last hours of the window, only for Monaco to pull out of the written agreement. The Premier League club is outraged, deeming the French outfit's conduct to be 'deeply unprofessional.'
A move for Roma's Manu Kone also failed to progress, with Roma unwilling to sell and Chelsea never submitting a bid. Camara and Kone were Chelsea's preferred options before Bergvall emerged as a target.
