Aheed Abrar
Chelsea reach ‘verbal agreement’ for Joao Felix loan deal amidst Manchester United links
Premier League rivals Chelsea have reached a ‘verbal agreement’ with Atletico Madrid for the loan move of Joao Felix amidst links to Manchester United, according to The Athletic (Subscription Required) [h/t Mirror].
The Red Devils, along with Arsenal, have been monitoring the Portugal international’s situation at the La Liga outfit. At Los Rojiblancos, the 23-year-old has fallen out of favour under manager Diego Simeone.
However, it is Graham Potter’s team who have beaten the Old Trafford side and the Gunners to Felix’s signature. The Blues will pay Atletico €11 million to sign the forward on loan until the end of the season and will also cover his wages until then.
Chelsea are set to add the Portuguese star to a front line that was bolstered in the summer of 2022 with the addition of Raheem Sterling and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Stamford Bridge side also have the likes of Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech and winter signing David Datro Fofana at their disposal.
Felix has struggled to live up to expectations since joining Los Rojiblancos in the summer of 2019 from SL Benfica. Over the years in Spain, the 23-year-old has been unable to find the back of the net consistently.
In the current campaign, the Portuguese has seen his game time dwindle drastically. The La Liga outfit have not been in the best of forms either, sitting fifth in the league table.
However, Felix showed glimpses of his talent in Qatar. At the 2022 World Cup, the 23-year-old was an essential player for Fernando Santos’ team. However, Portugal were knocked out by Morocco in the quarter-finals.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure has left Erik ten Hag with just one natural striker—Anthony Martial. The Dutch manager has also relied heavily on Marcus Rashford this season.
More Manchester United News
- Mikael Silvestre singles out the main reason behind the defensive resurgence at Manchester United
- Enrique Cerezo admits Joao Felix could stay at Atletico Madrid amidst Manchester United interest
- Bayern Munich join Manchester United in the race for Eintracht Frankfurt and France forward Randal Kolo Muani
Thus, we evidently need a number nine. But Felix is not that. Considering the demands Atletico were holding out for, it was wise of us to not make a move for the 23-year-old. Now, it will be interesting to see how the Portuguese will fare in a struggling Chelsea side currently 10th in the PL.
