Chelsea are keen on signing Joao Felix on a permanent deal in the upcoming transfer window.
What’s the latest on Joao Felix staying at Chelsea?
According to reputable journalist Dean Jones, the Blues would “really like” to keep the 23-year-old.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said:
“It sounds like they really would like to keep him. He’s a brilliant footballer, there is no question about that, and since signing there have definitely been times where he looks like their best player. I just didn’t expect them to be in a position to pursue this as keenly as they are.
"I think they will look to get creative, a straight cash deal at almost £90million is unlikely but there is also a realisation that he could end up elsewhere in the Premier League if they don’t find a way to sign him.
"I’m told he enjoys London and has settled pretty well here. There has been some talk of a second loan mooted, and Arsenal and Man United were both offered him before he joined Chelsea, so it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see such a deal explored again if necessary at the end of the season."
This followed a report from the Evening Standard, which claimed that the 2021 Champions League winners are to ramp up their efforts to sign the former Benfica prodigy by possibly including Marc Cucurella or Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in a possible swap deal.
The West London outfit appears to be assessing all the potential options to retain Felix’s Stamford Bridge status. For a player of this phenomenal talent and pedigree, the race for the wantaway Atletico Madrid star is set to be hotly contested.
Why should Chelsea keep Joao Felix?
The attacker has scored three times since his loan move in January, including the final goal in Chelsea’s much-needed victory over Bournemouth, when he stroked the ball into the bottom corner.
This segment was a microcosm in Felix’s insane repertoire of magnificence. The 30-cap international possesses a natural gift that allows him to effortlessly glide around the pitch as a fountain of skill, technique, and trickery.
This is showcased by the fact that the Portuguese ranks in the top 3% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for progressive carries per 90, as well as the highest 5% and 6% for successful take-ons and progressive passes per 90, as per FBref.
His dribbling ability is clearly frightening and the coveted forward deserves a place in a free-flowing attacking team, where he is the epicentre of the creativity after being restricted in a highly tight and rigid Diego Simeone set-up.
The fourth-most expensive transfer in history has been lauded as “special” by ex-teammate and former Blues striker Alvaro Morata and under Mauricio Pochettino’s tutelage, he could further evolve into an even more devastating asset. The former Tottenham Hotspur boss is thought to be Todd Boehly's no.1 target to take over as manager in the summer, according to Sky Sports.
The area that has been highlighted for improvement is his goal and assist output, but if you assess how the tactile Argentine moulded Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli into two of the league's most potent and productive outlets, the possibilities for the £195k-per-week man seem endless.
With Pochettino at the helm, the aforementioned Spurs duo played 179 times together and jointly contributed to 22 goals, also averaging 1.85 points per game together, via Transfermarkt. This sort of feat could be repeated at Stamford Bridge, with Felix only likely to benefit from such a coach.
As such, Boehly can’t afford to let the technician slip through his hands, especially to a Premier League rival, as he looks to rubber-stamp the club's long-term future on the pitch.