Saturday, April 20News That Matters

Joao Felix speaks out on Chelsea stay after Atletico Madrid loan ends

Joao Felix concedes he remains in the dark over his future and is unsure whether Chelsea will make his deal permanent from Atletico Madrid in the summer.

Last month, Chelsea paid a £9m fee to sign the Portuguese star on a temporary deal until the end of the campaign.




Fexlix was suspended for Chelsea’s last three matches after he was sent off 58 minutes into his debut in the 2-1 defeat to Fulham on January 12.

The attacker is able to make his return for Chelsea’s Premier League game against West Ham on Saturday, while he has also been added to their 25-man Champions League squad for the knockout stage.




Felix says he has settled in quickly at Stamford Bridge after an early chat with Graham Potter but says his future is out of his hands as the club will need to negotiate another deal with Atletico at the end of the season.

‘They [Chelsea] don’t have a purchase option. They would have to reach an agreement with Atletico,’ Felix said in an interview with AS.

‘I’ve only been here a few weeks, a month. I am learning everything. I am very comfortable but nobody knows the future.

‘I was already looking for a change of scene a while ago because it was difficult to get used to the way of playing.




‘I left [Atletico] because my head was already full from trying so hard and not being able to. ‘It had to be in this market and I think it has been good for Atletico and for me too.

‘Contrary to what many people say, Miguel [Angel Gil, Atletico’s CEO] has always trusted me a lot, he has always broken his arm for me.

‘I have a good relationship with him. I appreciate him letting me leave now because I needed it, I wasn’t right any more.

‘Miguel has always believed in me and I think he still believes. He sees me as a hope for Athletico, but we’ll see.

‘I don’t know what is going to happen in my life, nor is it known what will happen with Cholo [Diego Simeone], as I said, we will have to wait until June.’

When asked about his first impressions of the London side, Felix said: ‘It is a great club, as we all know. The facilities are very, very good, they have everything.

‘They have a lot of people around the team so that everything is fine and that makes the difference. It is very well structured.




‘During one of my first days he [Graham Potter] called me into his office. We were talking about his game plan, the plan he has for me. He explained to me how the team plays, what they do.

‘I really liked that he spoke with me. He shows that he is a very good person and a great coach.’

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