How Enzo Maresca really feels about Joao Felix, one Chelsea director completely agrees

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A big claim has been made about Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca and Joao Felix.

Joao Felix only joined Chelsea from Atletico Madrid last summer, but it looks like the forward could already be off.

Aston Villa are talking to Chelsea about potentially signing Felix, who has only made three starts in the Premier League this season.

Felix’s Chelsea teammate Axel Disasi could also be on his way to Villa after agreeing personal terms with the Midlands club.

• READ MORE: Frank Leboeuf launches scathing attack on Enzo Maresca for his ‘insane’ tactic during Chelsea’s defeat to Man City

Enzo Maresca not a fan of Joao Felix

Felix is attracting interest from AC Milan and Villa, and the 25-year-old may want to join either club as soon as possible.

According to journalist Simon Phillips, Enzo Maresca and one of the Blues’ two sporting directors do not rate Felix.

On his Substack Si Phillips Talks Chelsea, he wrote: “With Felix, the club initially wanted to keep him this window at the very least. But due to the fact that Maresca and one of the sporting directors do not rate him, they will now allow him to leave late on.”

Several clubs have enquired about Felix, so it will be interesting to see where the £45m Portuguese attacker ends up if he does leave Chelsea.

Enzo Maresca’s public stance very different

Behind the scenes, Maresca may very well have expressed that he is not Felix’s biggest supporter. However, in public, the Chelsea manager has sent out a very different message.

When Maresca discussed Felix after one game at the end of last year, he said: “Cole Palmer and Joao Felix are the players that make people pay for tickets. It doesn’t mean the rest are not good but they are different from the rest.”

At the end of the day, though, Maresca can only prove how much he rates Felix by playing him. Since he has not done that this season, the claim that the 44-year-old is not a fan is not far-fetched.

As for either Laurence Stewart or Paul Winstanley not rating Felix, that would not be a surprise as well.

At the time of his signing, it always looked like Chelsea bought him just so Atletico could muster up the funds to bring in Conor Gallagher and give the Blues pure profit.

If Felix leaves Stamford Bridge before Monday’s transfer deadline, that will prove the above was Chelsea’s only motive behind signing him last summer.