Joao Felix has been on loan at AC Milan for less than two weeks now and he has already made a great impression on some important people at the club. AC Milan legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic now works at the club in an advisory role where he evaluates talent and he was full of glowing praise for the Portuguese star.
Ibrahimovic said, as quoted by Alfredo Pedulla and translated by Google Translate:
"“Today we welcome Joao, even though he has already introduced himself with a magical goal. He is a great talent, he has experience, but he is young and can still grow a lot. We looked for a player between midfield and attack for blocked matches, against closed teams and here he can make the difference. He is a player of magic and this is something you either have or you don’t. His quality speaks for itself and we are satisfied. We must now put him in a position to do the best he can”."Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Having a player with the quality of Joao Felix is important for teams that consistently face a low block and stubborn defenses the way Chelsea usually does. Most teams are content to sit back and let Chelsea keep possession and simply strike on the counter when the Blues lose the ball in a dangerous position.
Felix has the technical ability to break down these stubborn defenses and can strike from distance which he has done many times in his career. This is a rare trait in a player and so is the versatility that he brings to the game. It is understandable that Felix was not able to unseat Cole Palmer in that attacking mid or number 10 position but it is hard to see why Enzo Maresca couldn’t find a regular place for him in the lineup.
The Blues are in the middle of a dogfight for a top four spot and still have a shot at the Europa Conference League trophy and a player like Felix could have been very useful in both of those pursuits. His “magic”, as described by Ibrahimovic, is something that can turn any match on its head and can quickly turn a deficit into a lead.
With the way Chelsea has struggled to kill off matches, having a player with that special ability can be very valuable and the Blues are worse off not having Felix around. There are some who argue that the idea of Felix as a player is better than the reality but his production and talent speak for themselves when he is given a chance to show them off. The Blues should hope that he does well at Milan and that he is willing to come fight for his place at Stamford Bridge this summer.