João Félix was a substitute in Chelsea’s most important game of the season, against Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday.
Things have not worked out for him in England. He also struggled at various stages at Atlético Madrid, who paid €127m to sign him in 2019, the club’s highest-ever transfer fee.
A player who plays between the lines, he adds value to teams that enjoy having the ball. As AS report, apart from the first six months of his career in the Portuguese top flight with Benfica, he hasn’t played in teams who keep the ball and has struggled under managers Graham Potter, Frank Lampard, Fernando Santos and Diego Simeone.
In the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Madrid, he played 23 minutes, a significant statement from Lampard.
João Félix has never won a competitive game against Madrid, who have reached another Champions League semi-final.
João Félix’s future
Simeone is likely to continue at Atlético for at least another season, leaving the forward in limbo. Chelsea now have to decide whether to buy the Portugal international, send him back to Atlético, or perhaps negotiate another loan agreement with the La Liga club, who have improved without the 23-year-old in their squad.
Kieran Quaile | GSFN
