Chelsea exclusive: Disagreement on Enzo Fernandez-John Terry comparison as Blues legend makes "20 years" claim

Chelsea enforcer Enzo Fernandez would need to keep going into his 40s to reach John Terry levels of fame at Stamford Bridge, according to a Blues legend, who has disagreed with fellow alumni about the Argentina international when speaking exclusively to Sports Mole.

The former Benfica man struck the Club World Cup winners' second goal in their 2-0 Premier League success over Burnley on Saturday, following Pedro Neto's opening goal at Turf Moor.

Chelsea's triumph coupled with Manchester City's 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United means that Enzo Maresca's side are now Arsenal's closest challengers in the Premier League table, sitting three points below the Gunners before the North London derby.

Fernandez has been a critical component to Chelsea's success since his mid-season arrival in 2022-23, and the World Cup winner has now registered five goals and one assist from 17 games in the 2025-26 season in all tournaments.

Chelsea trophy winner Pat Nevin recently told Sports Mole that Fernandez could become the club's next Terry-type player, describing the midfielder as a player who possesses an old head on young shoulders.

Claude Makelele: 'You cannot compare Enzo Fernandez to John Terry'

However, Chelsea legend Claude Makelele has exclusively disagreed with Nevin's notion and has affirmed that Fernandez would need to shine for two decades to enter the Terry conversation.

Asked if he agreed with his fellow ex-Chelsea man by Sports Mole, the Frenchman replied: “No, you can't compare. For this kind of player to come to this level, they need almost 20 years, playing many Champions League games every year.

"We talk about very, very top players. John Terry, we know he's a very top player. They need work, they need work. They can be there, but for the moment they’re not the level of John Terry.”

Terry represented the senior Chelsea squad for almost 19 years, making his debut in October 1998 and then departing at the end of the 2016-17 trophy season following an unparalleled career with the West London giants.

The ex-defender won more trophies as Chelsea captain than any other player (15) and sits third on the club's all-time appearance list with 717, only behind Peter Bonetti (729) and Ron Harris (795).

Meanwhile, Fernandez has amassed 21 goals and 24 assists from 132 appearances in a Chelsea shirt since his nine-figure arrival in January 2023, winning two trophies in the shape of the Club World Cup and Conference League last season.

The 24-year-old has frequently worn the skipper's armband for the Blues in the 2025-26 campaign too, captaining Chelsea in seven matches in all competitions.

How many games could Enzo Fernandez play for Chelsea?

Under contract at Stamford Bridge for seven more years, Fernandez is not due to become a free agent until the end of the 2031-32 season, and he could reach 149 games for the club by the time he celebrates his three-year anniversary on January 31, 2026.

The midfielder would have averaged just under 50 appearances a year should that scenario occur, meaning that he could have played 471 times for the Blues by the time his contract runs out.

Fernandez would still have some way to go to rival Terry's astronomical number of games, though, so the latter's place in the top three of Chelsea's appearance charts is surely safe.

Claude Makelele was speaking on behalf of bet365, the official global partner of the UEFA Champions League.