Chelsea make contract decisions on Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk

Chelsea reportedly made the decision to extend the contracts of Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk.

Fernandez, who joined the Blues in a £106.8m move from Benfica during the January 2023 transfer window, was initially handed an eight-and-a-half-year contract. Mudryk was handed a seven-year deal after Chelsea spent £88.5m to beat Arsenal to his signature from Shakhtar Donetsk.

Mudryk managed just six goals and two assists in all competitions for Chelsea. Fernandez has been a regular in midfield but has often been the subject of criticism amid the Blues’ struggles throughout the campaign.

However, according to FA documents released as part of the annual agent payout report, both Mudryk and Fernandez received contract extensions. The figures show that Chelsea have paid the two players’ representatives as part of the updated contract negotiations, reports the Mirror.

The report also revealed that Chelsea spent a record £75.1m on agent fees in the 12 months to February 2024. Despite their inconsistent performances, manager Mauricio Pochettino has previously suggested that both Mudryk and Fernandez are part of his long-term plans.

READ MORE: Mauricio Pochettino gives an honest assessment of the Chelsea side that Todd Boehly needs to address in the summer

READ MORE: Chelsea tip £164m to be confident of PSR compliance

“He’s a fantastic guy and such a nice person,” Pochettino said of Mudryk in December. “It’s very authentic and genuine. One thing I can tell you, he is very honest and very trustworthy and a very genuine and spontaneous guy. I trust him as a person, of course.

“And then as a player he knows he has to keep improving. He’s still young and he’s going to improve because he’s got the quality. He’s a player who’s progressing really well and we’re so happy.

“Definitely in time he will be a very important player. He is already an important player but he will improve a lot because the potential is massive.”

Pochettino also hailed Fernandez after he scored against Aston Villa in February’s 3-1 FA Cup fourth-round win. Fernandez had lifted his shirt in an apparent response to the criticism he had received, with Pochettino backing the midfielder.

“He is a world champion player,” Pochettino told reporters of Fernandez in February. “Look, when he signed a year ago, he arrived without holidays, without rest, with pressure, still young, another language, another culture.

“All these types of circumstances take time. I don’t want to upset people; for me it’s not an excuse. Stop trying to create expectations that don’t match reality and help the players try to build something. Of course in the same way, if it happens again we will be there helping me.