It is threatening to become one of the most drawn-out sagas of the summer transfer window: will Enzo Fernandez join Real Madrid or remain at Chelsea?For the past three months, barely a day has gone by without Fernandez being linked with a move to the Bernabeu. It is inevitable, given that the 25-year-old spoke during interviews in March about his desire to live in Madrid and was punished for it by Chelsea with a two-game ban.With talks over a new contract stalling earlier this year and Chelsea opting not to include him on their internal list of untouchables in the market, Madrid have been given plenty of encouragement that Fernandez is available — albeit with a £120million ($158m) price tag.As The Athletic reported on Thursday, the Argentina international is the preferred option for new head coach Jose Mourinho to strengthen Madrid’s midfield. The fact Chelsea have already sold Marc Cucurella to Real Madrid shows they are prepared to do business with the La Liga club.Here are the arguments for and against keeping him.The case to keep himNow is not the time to lose another leaderFernandez has become one of the key players in the dressing room since joining from Benfica for £106million in 2023. He has worn the captain’s armband on many occasions over the past two seasons when first-choice skipper Reece James has been unavailable.Cucurella was also regarded as a senior member of the squad, so to lose two in the same window leaves quite a void to fill — especially when one of the main criticisms labelled against Chelsea is their lack of experienced figureheads.Fernandez knows what it takes to win. He was part of the Argentina side that lifted the 2022 World Cup and in the Chelsea team that claimed the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup last year.Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella were senior figures in the Chelsea dressing room (Luke Walker/Getty Images)His form has been encouragingWhen it comes to goal involvements, Fernandez’s figures are very good. He has 31 goals and 30 assists in 169 appearances for Chelsea. This works out as better than one goal involvement every three games, which is a great return for someone who is not employed as an out-and-out attacker.