Chelsea star Enzo Fernandez’s now trademark goal celebration could be linked to the midfielder’s new love interest, internet sleuths believe.
The Argentina international found the back of the blue net against Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, in a continuation of the excellent form that saw him score or register an assist in four consecutive games for Chelsea in all competitions.
Fernandez’s start to the season could not have had a darker sign, with the player in danger of sanctions after live-streaming his Argentine teammates singing a racist song after their Copa America this summer.
The 23-year-old was also banned from driving and fined £3,000 in September, and is believed to have split from his childhood sweetheart, Valentina Cervantes, with whom he shares two children, Olivia and Benjamin, at the end of October.
But amid a pleasing purple patch on the pitch, online commentators believe Fernandez is attributing his success in front of goal to his new relationship.
After scoring against Villa, Fernandez made the same phone call gesture he did after scoring at the King Power Stadium against Leicester a week earlier.
Enzo Fernández celebrated his goal against Aston Villa with his increasingly ubiquitous phone call gesture
Fans online have linked the new celebration to his supposedly budding romance with Nicki Nicole.
Fernández separated from the mother of his children, his childhood sweetheart Valentina Cervantes, less than two months ago.
And fans of the midfielder have linked the celebration to a budding relationship with Argentine rapper and singer Nicki Nicole, who has a popular song released in 2023 called Llamame (Call Me).
Neither Nicole nor Fernández have yet commented on the alleged budding romance, but according to The NationThe couple are believed to have met at the end of October at the Moby Dick nightclub in Buenos Aires.
Fernandez is believed to have split from Cervantes before the start of his relationship with Nicole, but the pair were filmed talking at the nightclub on TikTok, although shortly after the video went viral, Nicole shared a comment saying she had attended to the party with ‘the person (she) is currently dating’.
According to the outlet, Nicole, who has a staggering 22.6 million followers on Instagram, is believed to have previously dated Formula One prospect Franco Colapinto.
Cervantes, who followed Fernández to west London following the signing of his then historic £106 million contract with Chelsea in January 2023, was the one who announced their split on Instagram, writing that the former couple “will always be a family and we will We will support each other through everything.’
‘I know the person and excellent father that Enzo is, and the heart he has,’ Cervantes’ post continued. ‘And that’s enough for me.
“They don’t want to create wars where there aren’t any.”
Cervantes had a similarly compassionate view of the breakup a month later, when she appeared on the Argentine television show LAM, and shared that her background as the daughter of separated parents had shaped her mature perspective.
Fernández also took advantage of the celebration after scoring against Leicester at the King Power Stadium.
Nicole is a singer and rapper in her native Argentina and released a song called Lllamame in 2023.
The pop star has a staggering 22.6 million followers on Instagram and is believed to have previously dated Formula One star Franco Colapinto.
“Everyone takes it and goes through different processes, I tried to go on the healthier side,” Cervantes told journalist Alejandro Castelo. ‘I love Enzo, I would never disrespect him.
“He is a person who accompanied me for many years and I also accompanied him and will continue to accompany him.”
Cervantes added that she felt “comfortable” with her current single marital status and explained that, however, the breakup had been “a surprise.”
“(There could) be fatigue on his part, but it didn’t happen on my part,” he added.
‘What he has done since the day we separated is his life. I’m not going to get involved and I’m going to respect the woman he chooses, as long as my children are okay with it.
“As I respect him, I would respect the woman he chooses to have by his side.”
Cervantes and Fernández share two children: daughter Olivia and son Benjamín.
The influencer has expressed her hope that the relationship between her and Fernández remains friendly while they separate.
Fernandez has been enjoying great form under new Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca.
Fernandez will look to continue his impressive form under Enzo Maresca against Southampton in midweek Premier League action as the team continues to challenge at the top of the table.
Like Arsenal, but in alphabetical order, Chelsea are third in the league standings after an unbeaten November.
The west London side also sit at the top of the UEFA Conference League standings thanks to their impeccable record, claiming their latest victory against arguably their toughest league stage rivals, Heidenheim, last week.
Fernandez and Chelsea will be eager to continue their winning streak in their penultimate match against Kazakh side Astana next Thursday.