Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo (which charmingly translates to Henry Cherry) has confirmed that Chelsea will not be making their loan move for Joao Felix permanent.
The attacking midfielder has been at Stamford Bridge since January on a pricey loan, but despite some bright flashes has not impressed enough for us to stump up the huge fee necessary to sign him permanently.
In a statement picked up by the Evening Standard in the UK, Cerezo said:
“We have been informed that Poch does not count with Joao Felix for Chelsea. He will return here.”
Felix will be disappointed, as he’s made it clear that he’s enjoyed his time at the club, and he doesn’t seem to be a great fit at Atletico, especially with Diego Simeone in charge. Rumours earlier today claimed that Mauricio Pochettino is not keen on Felix in his squad, and we would not be surprised if he has now had his final say on the matter.
The arrival of Christopher Nkunku this summer will bring an interesting alternative to Felix to the team, hopefully one more suited to Pochettino’s style.
Felix signed a new contract at Atletico before coming on this loan, so he now faces a difficult summer trying to find a new team where he can fit in. He’s got plenty of quality, but has so far been unable to find a team where he really looks at home since leaving Benfica.
