January 11th, 2023, was a big day in the history of Chelsea Football Club after the Blues landed Portuguese talent Joao Felix on loan from Atletico Madrid. Since then, Felix has scored two goals for the club, but his performances otherwise have been good. In fact, many Chelsea fans want Felix on the team permanently.
Another man who agreed to the same is former Chelsea and Liverpool player Glen Johnson. A strained relationship with Atletico manager Diego Simeone caused Felix to leave the Spanish team on loan. Post this season, the 23-year-old will be looking for a permanent move, and along with Chelsea, teams like Manchester United are also rumored to be interested in signing Felix.
According to Johnson, Chelsea needs to eliminate this interest from United and win the race in securing Joao Felix at the Bridge permanently. The right-back was very appreciative of Felix’s play, and called him a ‘proper footballer.’ He said:
"“He showed against Liverpool that he’s clearly a class player and normally I don’t like to see clubs go all-out to sign one player, but João is a gamechanger. He’s got eyes in the back of his head and he’s a proper, proper footballer.The need to sign him will be even greater if one of the club’s main rivals came in for him. I don’t like to see clubs break the bank for players and you should only do that if the player is going to be the last piece of the puzzle, but Chelsea’s team are miles away from that.In that sense, Joao is probably a luxury they don’t need, but as he’s currently at the club on loan and they have the opportunity to sign him, then they should do what they need to do to keep him, especially if a Premier League rival such as Manchester United come in for him.”"
Well, there is no doubt that at the age of 23, Joao Felix is one of the most talented players in world football. And the fact that he is already present with Chelsea on loan, it will be easier for the London-based team to acquire Felix’s services permanently compared to other teams.
Signing Joao Felix might hurt Chelsea’s finances
No doubt landing Felix at Chelsea will help the team’s forward line and also keep rivals away from securing his services. However, the bosses at the club will also need to check if the move makes sense financially. Over the last two transfer windows, Chelsea has spent a staggering £600m.
If the club are to land Felix permanently, it might cost them another £90 million. However, since Chelsea is reportedly ready to offload players such as Mateo Kovacic and Hakim Ziyech next season, the club might eventually have what it takes to land a big-money signing. It will be interesting to observe Chelseas’ transfer strategy for next season.
Do you think Chelsea should sign Joao Felix permanently?