Argentina's rising star midfielder Ansol Fernandes, who burst onto the scene at the Qatar World Cup, not only won the trophy, but was also honored as the best young player. The talented 21-year-old attracted the attention of Premier League giants Chelsea and was adamant that Benfica would release him, but with the deal seemingly at an impasse, Ansol Fernandes has suddenly changed his attitude and showed his loyalty to Benfica by slapping the Benfica crest over his heart after the Portuguese Cup match on Wednesday (11).
Chelsea and Benfica have been negotiating for the transfer of Ansol Fernandes for a long time, with Benfica insisting on as much as 120 million euros in liquidated damages in order to release the player. Anso Fernandes at the end of last month even disobeyed the orders of the coach, unauthorized return to Argentina to spend the New Year. Chelsea reportedly seemed to have almost given up on the acquisition, and Anso Fernandes made his comeback in Wednesday's Portuguese Cup away match against Jaesen and scored a crucial goal to help his team win 2-0. After scoring, he made a point of showing the team crest over his heart for the cameras and pointed his finger to the ground to convey to the fans his strong commitment to Benfica.
Benfica coach Roger Schmidt said after the game, "I expect Ansol Fernandes to stay at Benfica after the winter transfer market closes and I never doubted his attitude and character. He is a good guy and very much enjoys playing for Benfica."
