Enzo Fernández reflects on Haaland link-up and former Chelsea teammates

Enzo Fernández has spoken about his former Chelsea teammates and the relationship he is developing with Erling Haaland since joining Manchester City. The Argentina international discussed his Chelsea teammates during a conversation with La Nación, ahead of his move to City in the closing days of the summer transfer window.

Among his former teammates, Fernández praised Marc Cucurella’s energy on and off the pitch. He also highlighted Cole Palmer’s talent and composure, and N’Golo Kanté’s humility. Raheem Sterling, he said, helped him a great deal, while Kai Havertz has outstanding technical ability and a strong understanding of the game. “I’ve tried to take something from all of them,” Fernández said.

His other focus was his understanding with Haaland. Fernández called the striker “an incredible player”, as well as a funny and highly competitive person. The pair are working to learn each other’s preferences: where Haaland wants the ball, when he makes runs into space and when to move it quickly. “The better you know players of that quality, the easier it is to build partnerships,” Fernández said. He added that they had already begun working on details that could make their link-up more effective.

The Argentine midfielder also recognised the legacy of Argentine players who had been at City before him, including Sergio Agüero, Carlos Tevez, Nicolás Otamendi and Pablo Zabaleta. “For any Argentine, wearing a shirt that has been worn by players of that level is a source of pride,” he said, adding that he now wanted to make his own path and help the team continue achieving important things. Fernández arrives at City with major honours won at both international and club level, and has quickly become an important presence in the Argentina dressing room.

He also addressed the demands at his new club. In his view, competing for the Premier League, the Champions League and every tournament means aiming to win, but a season’s journey has to be built over time. Asked about the scrutiny surrounding City’s financial fair play situation, Fernández separated the role of the club’s leadership from that of the players. “We try to concentrate on training, playing and winning,” he said, adding that players cannot do much about those matters.