Joao Felix wants permanent Premier League transfer, but Chelsea aren't first-choice

Cameron Smith

• 12 May 2023 11:05 BST
• 3 min read

Joao Felix wants to return to the Premier League next season, but is open to joining one of Chelsea’s rivals in search of Champions League football.

The Portuguese international joined Chelsea on loan in January and despite signing a contract extension at Atletico Madrid before leaving, he is likely to leave the Spanish giants this summer.

Felix, 23, has netted three goals in 17 appearances since arriving at Stamford Bridge and it has been reported that Mauricio Pochettino would like to keep him at the club next season. Pochettino is expected to be announced as Chelsea’s new head coach in the coming days.

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Furthermore, the Blues are reportedly willing to offer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Marc Cucurella to Atleti, in a bid to lower their asking price for Felix.

However, Felix himself isn’t particularly keen on a permanent move to Chelsea. That is because his primary goal is to play in the Champions League. According to Spanish outlet Cope, Felix wants to continue playing in the Premier League next term, but he is desperate to play in Europe’s elite club competition.

Chelsea are currently 11th in the English top flight and are set to miss out on European football entirely after a dismal run of results under firstly Graham Potter and now Frank Lampard.

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Who could Felix join?

The current top four in the Premier League consists of Manchester City, Arsenal, Newcastle and Manchester United, while Liverpool are still in with a shot of achieving Champions League football following Man Utd’s poor run of results. Brighton & Hove Albion will have an outside chance if they win their games in hand.

Arsenal and Man Utd were both heavily linked with Felix before he joined Chelsea on loan in January, while Newcastle have also previously expressed interest according to reports.

It is therefore feasible that Felix joins one of Chelsea’s Premier League rivals this summer, but the player is aware that any transfer may take a considerable amount of time.

Despite tying Felix down to a new deal in January, Atletico Madrid have improved vastly since he left and Diego Simeone is now set to stay at the club, leaving Felix’s future in Spain hanging by a thread.

Signing for Chelsea on a permanent deal remains an option for Felix, and while the player celebrated his goal against Bournemouth in a manner that suggests he may stay at the club, his main focus is reportedly on securing a transfer to a club in the Champions League.