Sky Sports were last night claiming that Chelsea had “made an offer” for the loan of Gedson Fernandes of Benfica, with an option to buy for £55m included in the deal.
Chelsea have made an offer for Benfica midfielder Gedson Fernandes – an initial 18-month loan which could result in a £55million permanent switch. #TransferTalk
More: https://t.co/qhZLcOK70Q pic.twitter.com/oDJCKfpP8l
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) January 8, 2020
Just 24 hours later, they are now reporting that Fernandes’ deal to join West Ham on an 18 month loan deal is done, and that the midfielder will join our London rivals shortly.
We’re not surprised. the links to us never felt as convincing as those to the Hammers, and our need for a central midfielder is much less than theirs. Within less than a day, an unconvincing rumour has been proved to be likely totally false.
It’s a welcome reminder to not trust anything you hear from Sky straight away, as they’re as likely as anyone to just be pushing money towards their SkyBet business.
In the meantime, Chelsea presumably press on, pursuing more likely targets in this crucial January window.