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Atletico Madrid president confirms Chelsea decision over Joao Felix transfer.
Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has stated that Chelsea does not intend to pursue a long-term contract for striker Joao Felix on loan.
Felix signed a costly six-month loan agreement with Chelsea in January that did not contain a buyout clause, but club officials had been in talks with Atletico to work out the price of a permanent move.
But now that Mauricio Pochettino is in charge instead of Graham Potter, the situation has altered, and the Argentine has taken the ultimate decision on Felix’s future.
“The truth is that I can’t tell you the plan with Joao,” Cerezo said. “It’s the news we had yesterday, that the new coach doesn’t count on him for Chelsea.
“We don’t have anything planned yet, Joao is an Atletico player now.”
Felix had publicly expressed a wish to stay at Stamford Bridge through this summer, but he now seems destined to head back to Atletico, capping out his time in England with four goals in 20 appearances for Chelsea.
The 23-year-old is still bound to Atletico until 2027 under his current contract, and Chelsea has always been wary of the expense of any prospective move. At Pochettino’s suggestion, Chelsea has now abandoned its ambitions to seek a long-term transfer.
As Pochettino’s squad expands, Chelsea has already completed the acquisition of Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig and will also welcome back Malo Gusto and Levi Colwill from their respective loan agreements.
Manuel Ugarte of Sporting CP has also been the subject of discussions, and Declan Rice of West Ham and Moises Caicedo of Brighton have both attracted interest.