Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior said he is hoping Enzo Fernandez can be convinced to remain at Stamford Bridge for the long term by success on the pitch.
The Argentina World Cup winner, who joined Chelsea from Benfica in 2023 for a then British record transfer fee of £107 million ($144 million), has been linked with a move to Real Madrid.
“It means nothing to me. When you are a world-class player there will always be speculation you cannot control,” Rosenior said ahead of his team’s Champions League home game against Pafos on Wednesday.
“Enzo has been outstanding and he has surprised me in a good way — in terms of what he did on Saturday, covering the ground he did when he was ill.
“He is a Chelsea player, he is very important to me and hopefully we will have a winning relationship in the short-term and long-term.”
The 25-year-old missed training on Monday due to an illness which has affected a number of Chelsea players and staff.
In Rosenior’s first experience of Champions League football, the Blues can assure themselves of at least a place in the play-off round with victory over the Cypriot champions.
Chelsea are 13th in the 36-team table and would realistically need to win both their remaining games, including a trip to Napoli next week, to have any chance of making the top eight and securing direct passage into the last 16.