Chelsea urged to sign £80m man who is ‘like Frank Lampard’ by ex-Blues star, he wants summer switch
Joao Felix has impressed for Chelsea since joining from Atletico Madrid on loan in January and now the London club have been urged to sign him permanently.
The 23-year-old has featured heavily under Graham Potter and has arguably been the Blues’ best player recently, so if he keeps up his current form, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them table a summer offer.
However, with Felix’s contract at Atletico still valid until 2027, Chelsea may need to pay a substantial fee for his services, even though he is thought to be keen on remaining at Stamford Bridge due to having a poor relationship with Diego Simeone.
As previously reported by TEAMtalk, Todd Boehly is ‘desperate’ to sign the Portugal international permanently after he has impressed for the Blues, but Atletico could demand up to £80m for him this summer.
So far, Felix has made nine appearances for Chelsea across all competitions, scoring two goals in the process. Most recently, he netted against Everton, with a sublime left-footed finish.
A versatile player, Felix has the ability to play as a winger, second striker or as a centre-forward, so he could provide cover in multiple positions for Potter for many years to come if his stay is made permanent.
Wright-Phillips tells Chelsea to sign Felix
Now, ex-Chelsea star Shaun Wright-Phillips has declared in a recent interview that Chelsea should make signing Felix their priority.
Asked which of Chelsea’s new signings he’d been most impressed with, Wright-Phillips said: “Joao Felix. In a way, he was a player that I’d say [Thomas] Tuchel was missing.
“He’s the link between midfield and attack that they didn’t have. Watching Chelsea over the last few years before Potter, defensively they were fantastic, but it just felt like when they got to that final third, there wasn’t a connection there.
“There wasn’t that threat of a player like Frank Lampard, who will make runs into the box, or an Eidur Gudjohnsen who will dribble and make things happen. It was just midfield and attack, but I think Joao Felix sews that part up.
“We also have Enzo [Fernandez] who’s come in. If he and [N’Golo] Kante can play together, that could be very solid defensively. I’m really looking forward to seeing where it goes.”
Indeed, Chelsea have spent an enormous amount on new signings this season, but so far, the money spent has not been reflected in their results, with the London club currently sitting in tenth place in the Premier League table.
However, if given time to gel, the Blues could become a formidable force once again and Felix will no doubt be hoping that he is part of that resurgence.
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