03 February 2023 , 10:30
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Willian has admitted that Chelsea's £105million new boy Enzo Fernandez "looks good" ahead of Friday night's west London derby.
After weeks of speculation, Fernandez finally landed a dream move to the Premier League after the Blues thrashed out a British-record deal with Benfica for the sought-after midfielder, who rose to prominence after dazzling for Argentina at the World Cup.
Now that the formalities of the 22-year-old's record-breaking move have been confirmed, there is every chance that Chelsea boss Graham Potter could hand the World Cup winner his Blues bow against Fulham.
And Willian, who enjoyed a trophy-laden seven-year stint at Stamford Bridge but is now on the books at Fulham, has delivered his assessment on Fernandez, who he admits caught his eye during the tournament in Qatar.
Speaking about Fernandez, Willian told The Times : "I saw some highlights [during the] World Cup – he looks good!"
Chelsea complete record-breaking Enzo Fernandez transfer after deadline day rush
Willian, 34, will come to face to face with his former club for the second time in three weeks on Friday night when he returns to Stamford Bridge.
In the reverse fixture at Craven Cottage, Willian opened the scoring for Marco Silva's side, who ran out 2-1 winners against the Blues. Friday night's match will be the first time he has played at his old ground since leaving Chelsea back in 2020.
He added: "It will be a special night for me to be back at the Bridge. I spent seven years at Chelsea, amazing years. It was the best years of my career. I have a big respect for them and the people that work for the club, for the fans as well. I never got the chance to say goodbye."
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Willian was impressed by Enzo Fernandez during the World Cup (Fulham YouTube)After leaving Chelsea, Willian endured a torrid time at Arsenal and ended up leaving the club just 12 months into a bumper three-year contract. He returned to Brazil and played for Corinthians before he was lured back to England by Fulham in the summer.
There was scepticism around his arrival, but Willian has emphatically won the doubters over with a string of stellar performances for the Whites, who have overachieved after winning promotion back to the top-flight under Silva last year.
The Brazilian's renaissance has captured the attentions of teams elsewhere - but his agent, Kia Joorabchian, has stressed that his client is not interested in moving.
He told talkSPORT last week: "I think 99% of people would have said that he [Willian] was finished when he left Arsenal: ‘He’s finished – he’s done. His career is over.’
"Yesterday, we got a call from two top clubs. One said: ‘This guy never ages.’ The other said: ‘He’s like Peter Pan. How much would it cost to pull him out?’ We said: ‘It’s not happening – he is staying at Fulham.’"