ENZO FERNANDEZ has split from his childhood sweetheart and the mother of his two children.
The Chelsea star's long-term partner, Valentina Cervantes posted a message on her Instagram confirming their breakup.
Announcing the news, influencer Cervantes indicated the 23-year-old and her have had an amicable separation.
Argentine journalist Julieta Argenta claimed that Fernandez told her he wanted to "live alone".
Cervantes, who has 1.4 million followers on Instagram, said: "With Enzo today we say distance from each other.
"But we will always be family and support each other through everything.
"Because there are two kids in the middle that need a lot of our love for them.
"I know the person and excellent father Enzo is, and the heart he has. And that's enough for me.
"They don't want to create wars where there aren't any."
They had met in their homeland of Argentina, with two children together born in March 2020 and October 2023.
She had followed him firstly from River Plater to Benfica and then to Chelsea when he joined in January 2023 for a then-record-breaking £107million transfer.
Only days ago the midfielder posted a picture to his Instagram page celebrating the birthday of his youngest son, Benjamin.
Argenta's full post on social media adding context, read: "He told her he wants to live life on his own.
"They’re still family, but he feels the need to experience the stage he skipped by choosing family early on."
The major decision has come with Fernandez recently being dropped to the bench under Enzo Maresca, with Renato Veiga preferred in midfield in the Blues' last two Premier League games.
Fernandez captained Chelsea in the early weeks of the season and during Wednesday's League Cup clash against Newcastle, but saw was on the wrong side of a 2-0 scoreline.
He came under fire in the summer following Argentina's Copa America victory after posting a video of himself and his Argentina team-mates chanting a sick discriminatory song.
Fernandez came under fire from his team-mates including Wesley Fofana for the "uninhibited racism" shown in the video.
He issued a grovelling apology on social media following the vile act, but escaped an FA ban for the racism storm.