A fresh insight into the plans of the powers that be at Premier League giants Chelsea for on-loan attacker Joao Felix has been provided late on Friday.
Portuguese international Felix, of course, opted to take his talents to Stamford Bridge during the January transfer window.
Fresh off something of a hit-and-miss opening half to the campaign, the 23-year-old, alongside parent club Atletico Madrid, came to the mutual decision to part ways for the remainder of the campaign.
Felix, in turn, went on to endure something of a nightmare start for his new club, famously dismissed during a Premier League meeting with Fulham on January 12th.
That’s a horror tackle 😳
João Félix is shown a straight red on his Chelsea debut… pic.twitter.com/jn3MKtoHwn
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) January 12, 2023
Since, however, the frontman has been widely lauded for his efforts, across a pair of appearances against West Ham and Borussia Dortmund.
A rare ray of light amid an otherwise misfiring frontline in west London, calls have therefore already begun to spread across the Chelsea fanbase for Felix to be signed outright come the summer.
The info comes courtesy of Graeme Bailey of 90min, who has revealed that the Blues, indeed, are ‘exploring a permanent deal for Felix’.
Despite a buy option having not been included in the initial loan agreement between the two clubs, Chelsea and Atletico Madrid are understood to be in direct negotiations over the basic terms of a summer agreement.
The former, for their part, ‘would be willing to strike a deal’, in the case of their counterparts at the Wanda Metropolitano slicing their £120 million January demands.
Chelsea pursuing permanent deal for Joao Felix.
No option was included in initial loan deal but Atletico Madrid are also keen on a permanent move this summer.@90min_Football with @TomGott2
— Graeme Bailey (@GraemeBailey) February 17, 2023
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