Benfica president Rui Costa has criticized the way in which Enzo Fernandez’s transfer to Chelsea was forced through despite the Argentine’s refusal to play for the team.

With only a few days left in the transfer window, the west London club rekindled its pursuit of the World Cup winner despite Benfica’s firm refusal to sell him after the first offers were made at the beginning of the month.

Costa has since acknowledged that he changed his mind about that position under the condition that Fernandez stays with the team through the summer.

Costa even agreed to accept less money than the midfielder’s release clause in order to guarantee that Fernandez would receive the same salary Chelsea was prepared to pay.

However, the 22-year-old had no plans to finish the season in Lisbon. According to some reports, he even made threats to leave for Argentina and never play for Benfica again.

Costa has suggested that was indeed the case and once Fernandez had delivered his ultimatum the Benfica chief felt he had no other option but to accept a Premier League record £106million fee.

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Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Costa explained: ‘Enzo Fernandez did not want to stay at Benfica. He didn’t give us any chance.

‘I did my best, I’m sad, but I’m not going to cry for a player who didn’t want to stay. When Chelsea arrived, it was really impossible to change his mind.

‘During deadline day we found an agreement to sell Enzo to Chelsea in the summer but he didn’t want to stay.

‘From the moment Enzo realised [Chelsea would pay] the value of the clause it was unrelenting. We tried to insist, but the player did not show any openness to continuing at Benfica.

‘I proposed to Chelsea that he stay until the summer for a lower value, but the player did not want to continue at Benfica – and this is when everything changed. At that point I said, “He can’t play for Benfica anymore, no way!” I don’t cry for players who don’t want to wear our shirt.

‘I had the hope that Enzo would want to fight for the championship title with us. When I realised that he didn’t want to, I also didn’t want him to wear the Benfica shirt again. ‘A player who even with the possibility of not losing a Euro and with a secure Chelsea contract, does not want to continue, could never stay at Benfica. This player could no longer enter the locker room.’

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