Former Chelsea boss Graham Potter did not approve the club’s decision to break the British transfer record in the January transfer window to sign Enzo Fernandez for €121 million (£106.8 million) from Benfica.
The Argentine was brought in from the Portuguese side after he played a key role in Argentina’s World Cup success in Qatar.
The midfielder had attracted strong interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona before his move to Stamford Bridge.
The Guardian reported that sacked manager Potter, who took over from Thomas Tuchel, told the Blues’ board that they were paying too much for the 22-year-old.
The Englishman went ahead to warn the west London side against making too many signings, but the club did not want to lose out in the race to sign Fernandez, who was being advised to wait until the summer before leaving Benfica.
However, Chelsea’s former caretaker manager, Frank Lampard, was adamant that Fernandez would be a vital part of the team under Mauricio Pochettino.
