Enzo Fernandez was offered to top European club for just €12m before Chelsea paid €121m

Enzo Fernandez could have left Benfica for just €12 million (£10 million) 18 months ago - before he signed for Chelsea in a British-record transfer.

After starring for Benfica and impressing at the 2022 World Cup, Fernandez left Benfica for the Premier League as he joined Chelsea.

The Argentine moved to the Stamford Bridge outfit in a deal worth a whopping £106.8 million.

But AC Milan could have secured his services for a measly €12 million (£10 million) before his move to the Blues.

That's according to TuttoMercatoWeb who claim the Italian giants rejected the chance to buy Fernandez.

He went onto join Benfica before sealing a monstrous transfer to Chelsea after helping Argentina win the World Cup in Qatar.

The star midfielder has since made 46 appearances for Mauricio Pochettino's side, scoring four goals.

Enzo Fernandez in action for Chelsea. Image: Getty

Fernandez, who turns 23 today, sat down with Chelsea and reflected on his time so far as he approaches a year at the club.

"The first six months were difficult, the second part of last year was better," he told the club's official website.

"That the current coaching staff speak Spanish has helped me a lot. I am working to get to my best level and hope I can meet the club’s expectations of me. I’ll keep doing my best.

"People have been so welcoming since I arrived here. I’m very happy and my family is too which is very important."

He continued by crediting his teammates in helping him settle in England.

"My teammates are so important to me. They have helped me a lot; I'm happy they’re my team-mates," he said.

"I did my best to integrate myself into the group as quickly as possible. I’ve been here a year now and the group is really united. There are some great people here.

"I’ve been here for a while now and I've always tried to give my best for the group so that everyone does well.

"But, obviously, it’s a process and it's going to take us a while to get to our best, but we are trying to do it as fast as possible."