Enzo Fernández, who debuted professionally in River on March 4, 2020, was loaned to Defensa in August of the same year. During his time at Defensa, the team achieved a historic milestone by winning the Copa Sudamericana and the Recopa. Fernández played a crucial role in the team and was eventually recalled by River.
In 2021, Fernández returned to River and eventually moved to the Benfica in Portugal. He made his debut in the national team and continued to develop his skills. The FIFA Solidarity Mechanism states that clubs that formed a player between the ages of 12 and 23 are entitled to a percentage of the transfer fee. In Fernández's case, Defensa will receive 1% of the $170 million transfer fee, while River will receive 3.5% and the Benfica will receive 0.5%.
The transfer deal is a result of the FIFA Solidarity Mechanism, which aims to compensate clubs for the development of young players. The mechanism is based on the number of years a player spent at each club, with a maximum of 5% of the transfer fee going to the clubs involved. In Fernández's case, his time at Defensa will be counted as one year, resulting in a payment of $1.64 million.
The next step for Defensa will be to receive the payment from Manchester City, which is expected to be a significant boost to the club's finances.