Atletico Madrid President Confirms Joao Felix Will Not Join Chelsea Permanently

 Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has stated that Joao Felix will not be signing for Chelsea on a permanent deal this summer. The Portuguese forward, who joined Chelsea on loan in January, showcased his talent by scoring four goals in 20 appearances for the club.

Cerezo revealed that the decision not to retain the 23-year-old was made by incoming Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino. In an interview with Spanish outlet AS, Cerezo stated, "Yesterday we had the news that the new Chelsea manager does not [want] Felix. We've known for less than 24 hours. He'll come back here and we'll see. We don't have anything planned."

Atletico Madrid made Felix the fifth most expensive player in history when they acquired him from Benfica for £113 million in 2019, when he was just 19 years old. Since then, Felix has made 131 appearances across all competitions, scoring 34 goals and contributing to Atletico's success in winning the 2020-21 La Liga title.