Latest Chelsea star Enzo Fernandez has sung the praises of loanee Joao Felix, labelling him a ‘key’ player even amid Chelsea’s struggles this season as he was quizzed on his new teammate.
The pair both joined Chelsea in the January transfer window, with Fernandez breaking the British transfer record when he arrived on transfer deadline day for 130m euros. The Argentine became the Blues’ seventh January addition, with all of David Datro Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Noni Madueke, Andrey Santos, and Mykhaylo Mudryk making the switch to west London on a permanent basis, while Felix arrived on a short-term deal from Atletico Madrid.
While there was interest in the likes of Mudryk and Madueke, it was the Portuguese star and Fernandez that were really expected to hit the ground running in a bid to turn round Chelsea’s abysmal season.
The pair have already combined to good effect, with Fernandez providing the assist for Joao Felix to fire home against West Ham, only for the Blues to be held to a draw thanks to a goal from former blue Emerson Palmeiri.
🅰️ Enzo Fernandez
⚽ Joao FelixChelsea lead West Ham, and Joao Felix has his first #CFC goal.
🎥 @btsportfootball#WHUCHE pic.twitter.com/YMKbgu5S3E
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) February 11, 2023
And that poor run has continued, with Chelsea having won just 2 of 14 games and languishing in 10th place, while they trail Borussia Dortmund 1-0 in the Champions League ahead of the second leg at Stamford Bridge.
Despite this, Fernandez has urged the club to ‘do all they can’ to make Felix’s loan deal permanent this summer.
“Joao called me when I got here to ask if he could be of any help – and it helps on the field”
Any deal for Joao Felix is expected to cost around £80m, adding to the £550m that Chelsea have already spent across the past two windows, and would coincide with the arrival of Christopher Nkunku, who is set to make the switch from RB Leipzig to Stamford Bridge this summer.
