“Totally respectable” - Atletico Madrid star believes Joao Felix will return to club after Chelsea loan spell
Atletico Madrid captain Koke expects Joao Felix to return to the club once his loan expires at Chelsea. The Portuguese attacker is on loan at the Blues until the end of the season.
Felix joined Graham Potter's side in January, with the Premier League club paying Atletico €11 million to seal the deal. He had fallen down the pecking order under Diego Simeone at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. The Portuguese started just seven of 14 league games with Los Colchoneros before heading to Stamford Bridge.
There has been a feeling that Chelsea will look to sign Felix permanently in the summer. He has enjoyed a prominent role with the Blues, scoring one goal in eight games across competitions. However, Koke has hinted that he expects his teammate to return to Atleti. He told Mundo Deportivo when asked about the loanee and Matheus Cunha (who joined Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan in January):
"They were important players within the team. They made the decision to leave. Joao transferred and Cunha transferred. They are decisions of each one. Totally respectable. Joao is picking up the rhythm of the games, he is gaining confidence for the coming season to come back here. And to Cunha wish him all the best."
🗣 "We just have to be together and we are. We have an amazing group."
João Félix defends Chelsea manager Graham Potter, claiming the players must take more responsibility 💪 https://t.co/w9Z4xPeIxe
Felix's contract with Atleti will expire in 2027, and he joined the Spanish giants from Benfica in 2019 for €127.2 million. He has scored 34 goals and provided 18 assists in 131 games at the Wanda Metropolitano.
The Portuguese is enjoying life at Chelsea and seemingly took a dig at Simeone with his comments about his loan move. He said:
"I had been looking for a change of scene for a while, because it was difficult to get used to the way we played. I left because I had had enough of trying and not succeeding. I had to leave in January and I think it has been a good thing for Atlético and for me."
Chelsea's Ben Chilwell says he has no bad blood with former side Leicester City after scoring against them
Chilwell was on the scoresheet in Chelsea's 3-1 win over 10-man Leicester at the King Power on Saturday (March 11). The English full-back opened the scoring with an impressive volley in the 11th minute. He celebrated by cupping his hands to his ears toward Foxes supporters.
The left-back left Leicester in 2020 to join the west London giants in a €50.2 million deal. He insists that there is no bad blood between him and Brendan Rodgers' side. Chilwell told Chelsea's official website:
“There’s no bad blood at all, I really enjoy coming back here and seeing all of the old faces that I used to see all the time day to day."
He added that he will always give his all for Potter's side when up against his former employers:
"But when it’s that 90 minutes on the pitch, of course I’m going to give everything to win the game for Chelsea, and thankfully today I contributed with a goal.”
August 2022: "Ben Chilwell, he sits on the bench!"
March 2023: 🤫😎 https://t.co/wXvzHwc63L
Kai Havertz (45+6') and Mateo Kovacic (78') also netted for the visitors. This came after Patson Daka's 39th-minute equalizer.