Chelsea fan Dominic Thiem shares his views on club's new star signing Enzo Fernandez, feels Argentine will be 'fundamental to team's future'

Dominic Thiem's loyalty as a soccer fan lies with English giants Chelsea Football Club. As the Austrian aims to get his 2023 season up and running at this week's Argentina Open in the country's capital city of Buenos Aires, he reflected on Chelsea's latest star signing Enzo Fernandez, a recent World Cup winner with Argentina.

Thiem is thrilled with the fact that Fernandez has joined his favorite club as he believes the 21-year-old, who was signed for a Premier League record fee of €121m, will be fundamental to the team's future. Thiem is confident that Fernandez will spend many years at Chelsea.

Thiem's love for Chelsea has been intact for many years and the club even congratulated their famous fan after he won the 2020 US Open title. With the club now in a rebuilding phase with a string of new player signings of late, the Austrian is particularly thrilled with Fernandez's inclusion, who he found to be quite impressive during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

"I watched the World Cup and when Chelsea began to negotiate with him, I was happy and I began to hope that everything would turn out well and he could be bought," Dominic Thiem told Ole on the sidelines of the 2023 Argentina Open.

Thiem is satisfied with Fernandez's performance so far at Chelsea and believes this is just the start of a fruitful long-term association between the player and the club.

"He started very well, playing the first two games in an incredible way and he is only 21 years old, so he is also a player who will be fundamental for the future and who will spend a lot of time at the club," Thiem added.

Dominic Thiem wants to watch Argentine club River Plate play live, relishes Argentina's soccer culture

While in Buenos Aires for his Argentina Open campaign, Dominic Thiem wants to make the most of the country's soccer-loving culture. The 29-year-old expressed his desire to watch Argentine football powerhouse River Plate play live once in the next few days after catching a Boca Juniors game a few years ago. Thiem also looked back upon his previous visit to the Argentine capital with fondness, highlighting how important the sport is to the South American nation.

"I love football. I was on the Boca court (stadium) five years ago and this time I want to go see River. I love going to the soccer fields, it is one of the great things that Buenos Aires has," Thiem expressed.

"I remember when I played games in the last shift and when I got back to the hotel I saw guys playing games in the squares at 1 or 2 in the morning. Those people were always happy."

Thiem begins his Argentina Open singles campaign against seventh seed Alex Molcan in a Round of 32 clash on Tuesday. The Austrian is yet to win a singles match this season, suffering four losses so far as well as an injury that hampered his Australian Open campaign last month.