Joao Felix has joined Chelsea on loan from Atletico Madrid for the remainder of the 2022/23 season, with the Blues not retaining a purchase option.
Chelsea have made an official statement to confirm that they have secured the services of Joao Felix. The Portuguese international has joined the west London club on loan for the remainder of the 2022/23 season. And the Blues do not have the option to sign the Atletico Madrid attacker permanently.
Joao Felix has been one of the best young attackers in the world since his days with Benfica. The 23-year-old won the coveted Golden Boy award as a teenage prodigy at the Portuguese club. And it was hardly surprising when several European bigwigs chased his signature in July 2019 before Atletico Madrid completed a club-record deal.
But the Portuguese international has blown hot and cold since joining Atletico Madrid. And Diego Simeone’s pragmatic system has invariably failed to bring the best out of the youngster. Things went from bad to worse this term, with Felix starting only 11 games in the first half of 2022/23. And the player had been keen on leaving Atletico Madrid this month before Chelsea came calling.
Several Premier League clubs showed interest in the Portuguese international. And apart from Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United held talks to sign him. But the two bigwigs cooled their interest in the young attacker in the last few days, clearing the way for Chelsea to snap him up.
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— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 11, 2023
Chelsea soon verbally agreed to sign the 23-year-old. And the west Londoners have now confirmed the loan deal for Felix by releasing an official statement. The player has penned a contract with the Premier League heavyweights until the end of the 2022/23 season.
Upon completing the move, Felix expressed his delight, saying, “Chelsea is one of the great teams in the world and I hope to help the team reach their objectives, so I am very, very happy to be here and very excited to play at Stamford Bridge.”
According to the reliable Fabrizio Romano, Felix extended his contract with Atletico Madrid by a year before joining Chelsea. Meanwhile, the Blues do not have the option to sign the Portuguese international permanently in the summer. It will be interesting to see if the youngster can galvanise a struggling Chelsea in the coming months.
