Rio Ferdinand has backed Chelsea's decision to press ahead with plans to sign Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for what would represent a British record transfer fee.
The big-spending Blues appeared to have abandoned hopes of signing the Argentina World Cup star earlier this month with the Portuguese giants angered by Todd Boehly's attempts to unsettle the 22-year-old.
Negotiations, however, resumed on Monday and Chelsea are now said to be prepared to activate the Argentina World Cup star's £105million release clause.
Chelsea have already invested heavily in new recruits this month, bringing in six players to help Graham Potter overhaul a squad that looks ill-suited to the type of football he wants to implement at Stamford Bridge.
The arrival of Fernandez would go a significant way to helping Potter speed up his rebuild and Ferdinand believes Chelsea should pay whatever it takes to sign a player who shot to prominence in Qatar last month.
He told Vibe with Five: 'Bad player, wicked player. He's got it. He's a good player. I'd be surprised if he comes in and isn't a success.
'He's a top player. He was the best young player at the tournament in the World Cup I thought. He was integral for them.
'His passing, his composure for a young player was top and he won't be fazed if he handled the World Cup the way he did.
'He played at Benfica a big club in that country and the demands at the club, he's used to pressure.
'The money is irrelevant if you look at it and think he could be here for five or six years. Chelsea are on a mad one.'
Chelsea, meanwhile, are also understood to be contemplating a late bid for Brighton's Moises Caicedo whose club, Brighton, have already rejected two significant offers from Arsenal.
The south coast club insists the Ecuador international isn't for sale, despite the 22-year-old having handed a transfer request via an astonishing Instagram statement on Friday night.
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