Enzo Fernandez agent hits back at 'completely unfair' Chelsea ban with crunch talks to be held

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Enzo Fernandez's representative has hit out at Liam Rosenior for handing the Chelsea midfielder a "completely unfair" punishment and confirmed that fresh contract negotiations between player and club are on the horizon.

Rosenior recently confirmed the Argentine will be left out of the FA Cup quarter-final showdown against Port Vale and the pivotal Premier League fixture with Manchester City . Rosenior claimed the World Cup winner "crossed a line" when he admitted to dreaming of one day living in Madrid , amid mounting speculation linking him with a switch to Real Madrid .

Shortly after the Chelsea manager made his stance clear, Fernandez's agent Javier Pastore - the former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder - disclosed discussions had already taken place regarding extending the £107million man's deal at Stamford Bridge. He further warned should a fresh agreement fail to materialise before the conclusion of this summer's World Cup, Fernandez would weigh up a move away, while slamming the sanction handed to his client as "completely unfair".

The former PSG star told the Athletic : "The punishment is completely unfair - banning the player for two matches, which moreover are also absolutely crucial for Chelsea because qualification for the Champions League is at stake and he is one of the team's most important players.

"Alongside others, of course, but he has proven himself this year to be a leader and a key player, the backbone of this Chelsea side. I think it's far too harsh given Chelsea's current situation, and there's no real reason or justification for why he has been banned.

"I understand Chelsea's position, and that of the club's directors, following the reaction to what he said, but the fact is that he never mentioned any club or said he wanted to leave. What was reported in the media is the responsibility of each media outlet or journalist who drew their own conclusions. I understand the club's situation, but I don't understand the sanction."

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Pastore also maintained Fernandez accepted the punishment "because he's a highly professional guy" without complaint, but stressed they do not believe his remarks about residing in Madrid did, in Rosenior's words, cross a line. Pastore added: "He only mentions Madrid, the city, because he was asked which European city he'd like to live in one day.

"He said Madrid because of the language, because it's similar to Buenos Aires and because it's logical - it's only natural for an Argentine to say that - and also because of the culture, the weather ... but at no point does he say he wants to leave Chelsea or London."

When quizzed on whether contract discussions between Fernandez and Chelsea had taken place, Pastore said: "There have been talks about renewing his contract, yes. We started discussing it around December or January, but we couldn't reach an agreement.

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"As Enzo's contract still has six years to run, we decided not to renew it because the terms weren't right for us or for the player; given what Enzo is capable of today, he deserves much more than he's currently earning.

"We haven't reached an agreement and it may be that this annoyed the club, given that he is a hugely important player, but these are things that have to be managed. I look at the sporting and financial aspects of the player's situation, and I didn't see that renewal coming to fruition because they weren't very realistic about Enzo's current situation."

Pastore went on to reveal they opted to put talks on hold so Fernandez could concentrate fully on Chelsea's objectives this season, and maintained that the intention is to sit down with Chelsea once again following this summer's World Cup.