Chelsea are confident that they can secure Joao Felix on a permanent deal, as the Blues look to sell a number of players in the summer window.
The 23-year-old secured a move from Atletico Madrid until the end of the campaign on Wednesday and was handed his debut by Graham Potter less than 36 hours later. But, Unfortunately for Felix, his Premier League bow went down as one of the most infamous debuts in England.
After a promising first hour as he helped Chelsea draw level with Fulham early in the second half, the Portuguese star soon received a straight red card for a reckless two-footed tackle on Kenny Tate.
Adding insult to injury, Chelsea went on to lose 2-1, their seventh league defeat of the campaign and a result which puts Potter under huge pressure.
While club chiefs are firmly behind Potter, who was appointed in September after Todd Boehly decided to ruthlessly wield the axe and sack Thomas Tuchel, the Telegraph add that Felix’s long-term future could also be at the club.
With the Blues having paid a reported £9.6m to have him for six months which makes his red card even more bruising because of a three-match suspension.
The London club’s hierarchy are reported to be confident over signing Felix on a permanent basis should they wish to do so. That’s despite the loan agreement including no option or obligation to buy.
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The former Benfica star signed for Atletico in the summer of 2019 for a club-record £113m and was even tipped to be a future Ballon d’Or winner.
But after three-and-a-half years of struggling under manager Diego Simeone’s system, Felix is set to seek pastures new in the summer, regardless of how his loan in London goes.
Back at Stamford Bridge, officials are also focused on player sales to accelerate Potter’s overhaul.
