Chelsea are monitoring Atlético Madrid forward Joao Felix, with Todd Boehly said to have continued the club’s scouting mission on the Portugal international from the old regime.
What’s the word?
That is according to journalist Simon Phillips, who has highlighted Chelsea’s interest in the forward, suggesting that the club have maintained their interest in the star despite the recent change of ownership.
Whilst this is the case though, the interest in the star is described as “tentative.”
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Phillips said: “From my sources, I was always told that he was a target under the previous ownership.
“The new ownership has continued scouting Felix, but that’s as far as it is at the moment.
“It was described as a tentative interest in Felix from Chelsea when I asked my sources.”
Felix needs freedom
In comparison to the 19-year-old star that lit up the Portuguese Primeira Liga with Benfica having bagged 15 goals and seven assists in 26 appearances, it’s safe to say that the forward has somewhat underachieved in Spain.
From the game time that he has received from Simeone in Madrid, he has been quite clinical. But this sense of underachievement comes from a lack of starts, with the now 23-year-old used sparingly.
Felix’s highest number of starts came in his first season for the club, which saw him make 21 showings in the starting XI.
From then on, these starts have declined to the point where he started just 13 La Liga games under Simeone, with this season no different.
£114million Felix is used as a bench player, but with Portugal in the World Cup, he showed just how effective he can be in a system that grants him more game time and respective freedom in the forward role.
The Atlético number 7 registered three returns in his four starts, getting a goal and two assists that came from the two games he started.
Ultimately Felix needs regular minutes as a guaranteed starter in a more free flowing system.
That would render a move to Chelsea in Potter’s system somewhat of a risk.
