‘What’s the point’: Leboeuf unsure how £100m player would fit at Chelsea

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Frank Leboeuf believes Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix is not the type of player Chelsea need at the moment.

Earlier this month, Atletico CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin confirmed that Felix had expressed his desire to leave the club, partly due to Diego Simeone’s defensive play style.

He has since been linked with a number of clubs, including Chelsea.

According to The Telegraph, Blues chairman Todd Boehly is willing to make a swift move to sign the 23-year-old.

Felix, who joined Atletico from Benfica in a deal reportedly worth over £100milion, arguably can improve any team, but Leboeuf is not convinced that he would be the right signing for Chelsea.

“I don’t know… but Chelsea are looking for a striker. Somebody who can score goals,” the former Blues defender told ESPN FC when asked whether Felix would fit in at Chelsea.

“Felix is a fantastic player, but he’s like [Kai] Havertz, [Hakim] Ziyech, and three others who came to Chelsea and [were supposed to be] the guys who were going to serve the striker that Chelsea don’t have.

“That’s why it’s a question mark for me.

“You can [bring in] more guys who can serve the striker, but if you don’t have the striker, what’s the point of having those players?

“I think Chelsea’s main target should be a striker who can score on his own, not somebody who needs others to [create] for him, because they actually don’t do it right now.

“Maybe [Felix] would be the right fit, but that I don’t have the answer.”

Chelsea do have strikers. They just have not performed as well as expected.

Since Armando Broja is out for the season, Havertz and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and are effectively the two striker options at Graham Potter’s disposal.

Leboeuf is likely right that Felix would not solve the lack of a reliable number nine at Chelsea.

At the same time, a player of the Portugal international’s calibre is rarely available in the market, especially in January, and Chelsea might just not want to miss out on such an opportunity.

If Felix is available on a short team loan without an obligation to buy, there are very few reasons for Chelsea not to go for it.

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