Joao Felix returns but can Chelsea fans trust him to deliver?

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Joao Felix’s reunion with Chelsea Football Club has been met with enthusiasm by many Blues supporters.

The 24-year-old has not hidden his excitement at rejoining the Premier League club and cannot wait to get started already.

He has been added to the West London’s ranks to bolster and add more impetus to the attack.

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Let’s take a look at his achievements during his first spell with Chelsea.

Felix initially joined Chelsea on loan for the latter half of the 2022/23 season, costing €11 million (£9.7m). Unfortunately, his debut was marred by a red card for a foul on Fulham’s Kenny Tete, leading to a three-game suspension.

He bounced back in his next appearance, scoring his first Chelsea goal against West Ham in the Premier League. Overall, Felix made 20 appearances for the Blues, netting four goals during his loan spell.

Where does Felix fit in Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea line-up?

Felix is versatile across the frontline. He shot to limelight as an 18-year-old at Benfica, netting 20 goals, mostly as a second striker.

Atlético Madrid saw his potential and coughed a whopping €126 million (£113m) in 2019 for the Portuguese’s services. That deal made him one of the most expensive transfers in history – to put it in context, he was the world’s fifth most expensive signing at that time.

Felix continued to play primarily as a second striker, occasionally featuring as a winger. He grabbed 34 goals in 131 appearances for Atlético before teaming up with Chelsea on loan.

Barcelona loan

Last summer, Felix joined Barcelona on a season-long loan,sparki. He sparked controversy after he declared his “dream” of playing for Barça, angering Atletico fans. Despite his efforts, Felix admitted he struggled to adapt to Atletico’s style under coach Diego Simeone.

During the 2022-23 season, Felix played various roles at both Atlético and Chelsea but was basically used on the left of a front three at Barcelona last campaign.

Christopher Nkunku filled that role against Manchester City on Sunday. However, with Nicolas Jackson struggling up front, Nkunku might move to a central position, where he excelled at RB Leipzig.

Marc Guiu is another option for the centre-forward role, but Chelsea is also considering bringing in a proven striker to solve their scoring problems.

Napoli’s Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, who has expressed his desire to leave this summer, is a top target. However, Chelsea may need to finalise Romelu Lukaku’s sale to Napoli before making a serious bid for Osimhen.

As it stands, Felix can play on the wings and can feature behind the main striker – Jackson, Nkunku, Guiu or any other centre-forward that might join the Blues before the end of the summer transfer window.

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