Gary Lineker has given his opinion on the transfer rumours regarding Chelsea’s Joao Felix and a potential move to Premier League rivals Aston Villa.
Joao Felix re-signed for Chelsea in the summer window after joining from Atletico Madrid, but it’s been a challenging campaign so far.
In 20 appearances across all competitions this season, Felix has scored seven goals. However, the 25-year-old attacker can’t be happy with only three starts in the Premier League.
The Blues forward is rumoured to be a target for Aston Villa in the current January transfer window.
Chelsea have been in discussions about selling Felix to Villa this week, but there’s only a few days remaining for clubs to conclude any deals.
Gary Lineker gives verdict on Joao Felix links to Aston Villa
Gary Lineker has reacted to the Felix transfer speculation by highlighting that he’s struggled to nail down a starting position anywhere in his career despite his unquestionable talent. Therefore, he’s intrigued about where Villa would look to use the Portugal international.
When discussing Chelsea attacker Felix, Lineker told The Rest Is Football: “He’s huffed and puffed and threatened on occasion to show that potential and it’s never really materialised for him.
“There’s no question there’s a lot of ability there but he’s never managed to get a regular starting place anywhere. So I don’t know what Villa would see him as.”
Chesea boss Enzo Maresca highlighted Felix’s versatility when he joined, but that’s not led to him breaking into the best starting line-up.
He’s most effective in a No.10 position behind a striker, where his technical brilliance and creativity can thrive. However, he’s got no chance of dislodging Blues teammate Cole Palmer from that spot.
Instead, Felix is sometimes deployed in wide attacking positions when he comes off the bench, or he starts more centrally in the cup competitions.
Why Joao Felix to Aston Villa would be risky for Chelsea man
If Felix does end up joining Villa in the final days of the January window, he could end up running into a similar problem.
As it stands, Morgan Rogers is a supreme talent in the No.10 position for Unai Emery’s side. He’s scored 10 goals and created five assists across all competitions so far this season.
Even though Rogers does sometimes play in wide areas, he’s really come into his own in a central playmaker position. It would make us worry about Felix’s game time in his favoured role if he goes to Villa Park.
AC Milan have been linked with Chelsea’s Felix in January, and a move to the San Siro for him to play more regularly could make more sense.
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