On Wednesday, Premier League club Chelsea confirmed the signing of Portuguese forward Joao Felix in a deal worth €52 million. And just as it has been since Todd Boehly took over as the club’s chairman, it was another seven-year deal.
It will be Felix’s second stint at Chelsea after a largely unsuccessful first stay that saw him register just four goals in 20 appearances.
Speaking after he completed his return to the club, Felix said: “It’s a chance for me to find a home. After two loans, Chelsea and Barca, I needed to stay permanently in one place. There is no better place for me to be than Chelsea.”“I see a perfect place to shine. It was a little bit of a lot of things that made me want to come back: the project, the club, the league, the fans, the time I spent here that I loved. I felt really good when I was here, despite the results we had. I’m really happy to be back.”
How well did Felix perform in his first stint at Chelsea
For a player with so much potential, Felix has flattered to deceive for most of the time. The Portuguese forward rose to the global reckoning in 2019 after registering 15 goals and nine assists in 26 goals.
Atletico Madrid then swooped in for him for a club-record €127.20 million. However, he failed to cut it at the club after three seasons. With his relationship with Diego Simeone strained and his chances of regular football in the balance, Felix moved to Chelsea for a season-long loan.
It appeared that the 24-year-old forward would be the vital addition the club needed to function, but it did not pan out that way. Chelsea were struggling badly, and they needed a spark of brilliance to get them going. Felix did show sparks, but those sparks were not even enough to start his own fire, at least on the eye. Whenever he had the ball, it was clear that there was a disconnect between him and the other attackers.
However, statistics show that Felix was one of the best players during his first stint at Chelsea. per 90 minutes with Chelsea, the 24-year-old ranked first in terms of goals, first among his teammates for goals scored and second for successful take-on.
Felix could have an excuse though, as Chelsea were at one of their lowest that season. Recall that they had two different coaches that season, as Frank Lampard was employed as interim manager after Graham Potter was sacked barely months after he got the job.
Still, the same Felix was at Barcelona, who looked quite settled last season, and while he had a decent return of ten goals and eight assists in 44 appearances, there was that feeling that Barca could still make do with someone better.
What Has Changed Since Felix Left?
Felix was one of the first few signings of the Boehly era. In his first stint, the Blues were going all out to sign all the young players in the market－ proven and unproven. That hasn’t changed till now, as the Chelsea board have kept on with that transfer policy.
They had a bloated squad then, and that has still not changed. Chelsea has 44 first-team players and with just a week left until the end of the summer transfer window, it is expected that there will be a significant reduction in that number.
Also, at the time Felix joined, Chelsea had a relatively unproven coach in Potter, especially at top level. Even after Potter left, it was Lampard who was employed.
So, it is still that not much has changed since the Portuguese left Stamford Bridge two seasons ago. But does it mean he will struggle again?
Will Felix’s second coming come good for Chelsea?
Unlike his first stint which was a loan transfer, Felix has signed a permanent deal. His mind would be at rest because he now has a confirmed place. However, Chelsea is also in a state of flux, with many players going and coming.
With the bloated squad at Stamford Bridge, Felix is not even sure that he will be a starter at Chelsea this season. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher talked about it when the deal was completed on Wednesday.
“They’re buying Felix – where’s he going to play?” Carragher said on Sky Sports. “They signed Neto a week ago – where’s he going to play when you’ve got Palmer already?
“Where would you play Fernandez, a £100m player? Where would you play Nkunku?”
For context, Felix would have to compete with Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez, Christopher Nkunku, Mykhaylo Mudryk, Noni Madueke, Nicolas Jackson, and Pedro Neto, while Omari Kellyman and Marc Guiu for a place in the starting eleven.
Aside from this, coach Maresca would also have to make the big decision on where to use him. He has already played Palmer as a winger and a false nine this season, unlike last season when he mainly operated as a creative midfielder. But the argument could also be made that Maresca managed to bring out the best in some of Leicester City’s attackers last season, with Isshaku Fatawu and Stephy Mavididi shining last season. To that effect, many are now eager to see how the Blues will fare in the current campaign and Chelsea tickets are expected to see a surge in demand.
Nonetheless, while it seems like all the chips are down for Felix, the pressure on him could spur him on. Since he arrived at Atletico Madrid, he has not lived up to the hype.
But now, in a new environment and with a lot to prove, he could get going eventually. He has the skill set. He can dribble, he can be lethal in front of goal on his day, he could also be a livewire in the final third, but he needs a coach that will bring it out.
Still, Chelsea is unstable at the moment. Maresca has not done enough to prove that he will keep the coaching job beyond the end of the current campaign. But if the Italian tactician gets it right and there is no change in the coaching staff Felix could benefit hugely and come into his own.
