Atletico Madrid are hoping Chelsea would pay their asking price for Joao Felix after the forward spends “a dream few months” at Stamford Bridge this season, according to Mundo Deportivo.
Felix has only had less than an hour of appearance for Chelsea since joining the club on a short-term deal before getting a red card on his debut and, consequently, a three-match suspension, which has kept him out for the last month.
However, the 23-year-old managed to impress quite a lot of Chelsea fans in those 58 minutes and there have already been speculations over a potential permanent deal.
According to Mundo Deportivo, this is exactly what Atletico are hoping for, and so is Felix.
Felix’s future will have a big impact on the Spanish club’s summer plans, which is hardly a surprise since he is by far their most valuable asset.
The Portugal international reportedly does not plan to return to Atletico, while the club would prefer to cash in on the player than send him on another loan.
Atletico reportedly hope that after Felix’s “dream” short stint at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea will be convinced to meet their €140million (£124m) asking price for the versatile attacker.
Also, even if it is not Chelsea, Atletico believe Felix will generate interest from other top clubs at the end of his Chelsea loan.
The price tag seems exorbitant, of course, but Atletico spent a reported £113m to secure the former Benfica star’s signature in 2019 and would likely demand a similar figure, at the very least.
The Blues have proved that they are willing to spend big on players in the last two transfer windows, but Christopher Nkunku’s expected summer arrival arguably makes paying such a high price for Felix less appealing.
The Athletic previously claimed Chelsea have a clause that gives them the option to sign Felix permanently after his loan spell, but it remains unclear whether it has any effect on his price tag.
Keep up to date with all the latest Chelsea news and opinion by following The Chelsea Chronicle’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.