Felix drops HUGE hint over Chelsea future

Tom Hancock

• 23 May 2023 19:41 BST
• 3 min read

Joao Felix wants to remain a Chelsea player next season – although he admits he doesn’t yet know where his future lies.

The forward arrived on loan from Atletico Madrid in January and, after a disastrous debut in which he was sent off, has settled in well to life at Stamford Bridge – amid what has been a miserable campaign for the Blues on the whole.

And with the summer transfer window almost upon us, Chelsea are going to have a decision to make on the 23-year-old.

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Felix himself, though, has already made his preference quite clear. He said: “I don’t know yet on my future, but these four/five months [at Chelsea], I love it. I would really like to be here [next season].”

It has previously been reported that Chelsea would be open to extending Felix’s loan spell – amid talk that Atletico would rather offload the Portuguese international permanently.

But if the Blues are to rein in their lavish spending this summer, the latter option may be out of the question: Felix is said to be valued by Atleti at just shy of €100m.

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Potential unfulfilled

Felix’s €126m move from Benfica to Atletico in 2019 was one of the most expensive transfers of all time – but few would say he has lived up the potential implied by that hefty price tag.

There have been positive signs in his short time with Chelsea so far, though, and a further loan spell might well prove to serve both parties well.

In 18 appearances for the Blues in all competitions, Felix has scored three goals – most recently in the 3-1 win at Bournemouth earlier this month, the first victory of Frank Lampard’s stint as caretaker manager.

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