Chelsea are hoping to wrap up a deal for Benfica's Enzo Fernandez on Deadline Day, thus concluding one of the month's most prominent and protracted transfer sagas...

What's the word?

Blues boss Graham Potter oversaw an €85m (£77m) bid for the Argentina star earlier this month, failing to prise him away from Portugal due to Benfica's resolve regarding the structure of the payment.

Yesterday, talks reopened with The Telegraph's Matt Law confirming the west London outfit had met the £105m valuation, but again comprised in installments.

With Chelsea pushing to complete the deal, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano stated this morning that "negotiations will continue", despite the Premier League outfit hoping for a "breakthrough" overnight.

"Diamond"

The Argentine World Cup winner announced himself to the major stage when he indeed served as a central focal point for his nation's triumph last month, picking up the prestigious Best Young Player award for his labours.

A raft of Europe's most prominent clubs indeed took note of the 21-year-old's dazzling displays, with Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid all cited as suitors, before unrelenting Chelsea owner Todd Boehly surged into the lead and enticed the player with his lucrative proposal.

As per Sofascore, the starlet - who was dubbed "spectacular" by compatriot Lionel Messi for his international escapades - recorded an average rating of 7.10 in Qatar, completing 88% of his passes, clinching a goal and two assists, and recycling play with an impressive 2.3 tackles per game.

In the Liga Portugal, his 7.53 rating is the highest in the Benfica squad, where he has averaged 1.4 shots, 1.8 key passes and 2.4 tackles per game and created a stunning nine big chances, again exhibiting superlative assurance with an 88% pass success rate.

The ten-cap phenomenon is a "diamond" of a player, as hailed by Opta, and he could forge a remarkable career after already clinching the pinnacle of footballing achievement in winning the World Cup.

Within Potter's system, a philosophy which heaps onus on possession-based football and tactical fluidity, Fernandez certainly boasts all the attributes to soar to the top.

He ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe's 'Next 8' divisions - preceding the established 'big five' leagues - for progressive passes, and the top 5% for shot-creating actions, he could indeed be the transitional force to lift Chelsea to the zenith of the European scene.

Time is ticking, but Chelsea wield the firepower; Fernandez could well join in short time to spearhead the new era at Stamford Bridge.