Enzo Fernandez’s Dream Team appeal grows stronger every day after points-laden start

ENZO FERNANDEZ (£4.6m) has developed into a highly effective Dream Team asset in the last year or so.

Right now, there’s an argument to be made that he’s the smartest selection for managers keen on a Chelsea midfielder.

Dream TeamGetting better all the time[/caption]

Cole Palmer (£5.7m) is hampered with injury and still considered a doubt for Gameweek 4 having not been included in Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad.

After another busy transfer window, Enzo Maresca has several wingers at his disposal with Jamie Gittens (£3.4m), Estevao (£3.5m), Pedro Neto (£4.3m) and Alejandro Garnacho (£4m) all pushing for minutes.

Some semblance of a pecking order may emerge but the Blues will surely rotate their wide men throughout the campaign.

This depth and competition for places should stand the club in good stead but Dream Team bosses will be hesitant to select players who are likely to benched — you can’t score points if you’re not on the pitch.

Chelsea have plenty of wingers this seasonDarren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images

Whereas Fernandez’s playing time is not a concern as Maresca’s vice-captain.

His partnership with Moises Caicedo (£4.4m) continues to go from strength to strength and the pair are near enough the first names on the team sheet at this point in time.

The World Cup winner started slowly in the world of Dream Team.

Upon signing from Benfica in January 2023, he registered zero goals and two assists in 22 appearances across the second half of the campaign.

Things improved in 2023/24 when Fernandez scored seven goals and provided four assists but it wasn’t until 2024/25, under Maresca’s watch, that he fully exhibited his attacking qualities.

AFPNow firmly an attacking threat[/caption]

Having previously been viewed as a combative ball-winner, the 24-year-old took full advantage of some favourable Conference League match-ups to show what he could do in the final third.

Such were the impressive nature of his European outings, he reclaimed his spot as a regular starter in the Premier League and was encouraged to get forward when appropriate.

When all was said and done, Fernandez scored eight goals and contributed 14 assists in all competitions last season — only four midfielders assisted more goals in 2024/25.

He continued to provide this level of output over the summer with four goal involvements in seven outings during Chelsea’s successful Club World Cup campaign.

And most relevant is the fact that no player has registered more goal involvements across the first three Gameweeks of this season.

GettyA popular recruit ahead of Gameweek 4[/caption]

Fernandez blanked against Crystal Palace on the opening weekend but scored and assisted against both West Ham and Fulham.

As a result, he’s sitting pretty on 29 points — only three players in his position have earned more at this stage.

It’s no wonder that Fernandez is currently the fourth-most popular recruit ahead of Gameweek 4 at the time of writing.

The deadline is a few days away yet and the landscape could change if key players suffer injuries during the international break but recruiting Chelsea’s No8 is certainly a viable move as things stand.

Rather helpfully, Fernandez has not flown to South America as he’s set to serve a two-game suspension for Argentina, meaning there’s no danger of a long flight home impacting his preparation for Gameweek 4.

Broadly speaking, this is a good time to stock up on Chelsea assets as they are one of eight teams set to fulfil six fixtures across the next three Gameweeks, starting with a double header against Brentford and Bayern Munich.

Joao Pedro (£4.6m) has justified his popularity thus far but he’s categorised as a forward; there’s more than enough room for a Stamford Bridge midfielder (and perhaps a defender too) ahead of the double Gameweek procession.

If Palmer is still a doubt come the deadline then many gaffers will be tempted by a straight swap to Fernandez, a useful transfer from a financial perspective.

Fernnandez currently features in 8.9% of teams.

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