Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel believes Enzo Fernandez is not a true leader and should leave the club if he would rather be at Real Madrid.
Fernandez made headlines recently by telling ESPN Argentina that he was not sure if his future beyond the end of this season would be at Stamford Bridge.
He then said in another interview, with LuzuTV, that if he could live in any city in the world, he would choose Madrid.
Those comments provoked an angry response from Chelsea's fanbase, particularly as the Blues have lost three of their last four Premier League games (one win), as many defeats as they suffered in their previous 18 (eight wins, seven draws, three defeats).
The Blues are now struggling to secure Champions League qualification for 2026-27, and they were thumped 8-2 on aggregate by Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 of this season's tournament.
Chelsea have also failed to score in three consecutive games in all competitions for the first time since September 2023, attempting a total of 52 shots (16 on target) across these three matches (0-3 versus Everton, 0-3 versus PSG, 0-1 versus Newcastle United).
And by casting doubt on his future amid a difficult period for the club, Mikel believes Chelsea vice-captain Fernandez has shown himself to be a poor leader.
"That's not a leader," Mikel said on his Obi One Podcast.
"That's something where if you have leaders, if you have leaders that players respect and look up to, you wouldn't come out and make those statements.
"You don't make that statement after we've been disgracefully dumped out of the Champions League, wearing the captain's armband.
"No player is bigger than the football club. If he's had enough, put your hands up and f*** off. And we move on.
"You cannot come out and say that it doesn't matter, with what is going on. You should be grateful you're playing at a club like Chelsea; because of the culture we built.
"I can understand a little bit of frustration, but you still have to respect the badge, you still have to respect the football club, you still have to respect the fans, because the fans are the ones who pay your wages."
Fernandez has made more appearances than any other Chelsea player since the end of their successful Club World Cup campaign (46), recording 18 goals involvements in that time (12 goals, six goals).
Only Joao Pedro, with 18 goals and six assists, has registered more goals or overall goal contributions than the Argentine for the Blues this season.
Chelsea take on Port Vale in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday, before their return to Premier League action pits them against Manchester City on April 12.