Joao Felix: Should Chelsea sign him permanently?

It is just one of a number of tough decisions Chelsea have to make over the next few months: should they sign Joao Felix permanently?

The 23-year-old joined from Atletico Madrid in January on loan for the rest of the season. There was no option or obligation to buy included in the deal so Chelsea will have to negotiate a fee with the La Liga club. He will not come cheap, but few quality international players do.

So what should Chelsea do? The Athletic's Chelsea correspondents Liam Twomey and Simon Johnson rarely agree on anything. And it will not come as a surprise that the same applies here as they debate whether the club should buy Joao Felix.

No, he's too expensive and other areas are a priority — Liam Twomey

Joao Felix is clearly an elite talent and has done enough in his few appearances for Chelsea to establish himself as the most entertainingly skilful attacker to call Stamford Bridge home since Eden Hazard departed in 2019. That said, the ability of the player is only one factor to consider when weighing up a decision as big as this one.

Make no mistake, buying Joao Felix permanently would be a big — and by big, I mean expensive — decision. That he signed a contract extension with Atletico Madrid before finalising his Chelsea loan move in January flew a little under the radar, but it means he will have four years remaining on his deal this summer.

There is no defined option in the loan agreement that would facilitate Chelsea signing him, nor is there a clear price at which Atletico have indicated they would consider selling. Joao Felix's buyout clause, a mandatory requirement in every La Liga player's contract, is reportedly set at €350million (£307.2m; $371.4m) — a deterrent rather than an invitation.

Chelsea clearly would not need to offer anything close to that figure but, given that Atletico paid €126million to acquire him from Benfica in 2019 and retain strong contractual leverage over a player who is still only 23, it is reasonable to assume they would expect to recoup a large chunk of that transfer fee in any sale — particularly in light of the spending that Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have sanctioned over the past two transfer windows.

Any large transfer fee for Joao Felix (which, it is important to note, UEFA will insist is amortised over no more than five years from this summer) would further complicate Chelsea's attempts to remain compliant with financial fair play if they fail to secure Champions League qualification this season. Significant sales are required to offset some of the recent spending and it is inevitable that any more marquee deals will increase the sense of urgency.

This is without factoring in Joao Felix's salary — well in excess of £200,000 a week — which would put him in the upper reaches of a Chelsea wage structure that Boehly and Clearlake are trying to bring down to a more sustainable level. Perhaps he would accept a pay cut to make sure he gets out of Atletico, but that is not the way most top footballers or their agents operate.

Joao Felix has shown glimpses of his best form since arriving at Chelsea on loan (Photo: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

Working in Chelsea's favour is the fact Joao Felix's relationship with Diego Simeone is widely considered to be at a Thomas Tuchel-Romelu Lukaku level of broken. If the Argentine remains Atletico coach beyond this season, it is difficult to see how reconciliation could be achieved and that internal tension may help to reduce the asking price.

But even if a deal can be done to sign Joao Felix, is he really what Chelsea need most? Boehly and Clearlake plan to scale back their transfer investment in future windows. If resources are now finite, surely other areas of the pitch assume greater priority: a genuine No 9 or a long-term midfield partner for Enzo Fernandez, or a new goalkeeper.

The vast expense likely required to sign Joao Felix permanently may still be dwarfed by the opportunity cost; money spent on him cannot be spent elsewhere.

Finally, is there even a functional, balanced formation that can maximise all of Mykhailo Mudryk, Joao Felix, Christopher Nkunku and Kai Havertz in one team? Or is this array of attackers-who-aren't-quite-strikers a recipe for a lavishly expensive final third unit which proves less than a coherent sum of its parts?

The risk of the latter scenario is reason enough to be cautious.

Yes, he has provided a spark and has the talent of Zola and Hazard — Simon Johnson

Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here? Yes, I have gone there, starting my counterargument by quoting a line from a movie.

It is a first for me and not something I intend to do regularly. Joao Felix bears little resemblance to Russell Crowe's character in Gladiator, Maximus Decimus Meridius, but both men have the knack of winning over a demanding crowd and being used as memes on social media.

The 23-year-old arrived at a difficult time for the team and the club. Confidence was at a low ebb and head coach Graham Potter's position was under threat. Fans were making their feelings known in the stands and via email. It is hard for a flair player to, well, play with any flair in such circumstances, yet Felix has done that. Imagine what he will do in a team full of confidence.

Unlike the vast majority of Chelsea's new signings, Felix has not needed time to adapt to life at Stamford Bridge and the Premier League. The Portugal international has impressed since his debut despite being sent off at Fulham. The away fans at Craven Cottage that night saw enough to give him the honour of a specific chant.

Chelsea have a rich history of players who can do something special, a trick, a shuffle of the hips to bewitch an opposing defender, an individual who justifies the cost of a ticket. People like Charlie Cooke, Pat Nevin, Gianfranco Zola and Eden Hazard. Joao Felix has a lot to do to be compared with those legends, but the talent is there.

He provided supporters with a reason to keep going to games while their losing habit continued and has been a factor in Chelsea's three-game winning streak, although he does need to sharpen up when it comes to defending the final third.

His return of one goal and no assists does not do his performances justice. Luck has not been on his side, having hit the woodwork three times as well as having a strike ruled out by VAR for offside.

Most importantly, Joao Felix is building up a promising understanding with like-minded technical players Havertz and Fernandez. Why break up such a trio? With at least two more months of the season to benefit from, things will surely only get better between them and crucially they will be ready to gel from day one of the next campaign. The grass is not always greener and it is quite a risk to think there is someone else better out there.

Joao Felix has made it clear how happy he is at Chelsea and in London, hinting that he wants to turn it into a permanent move. Fernandez significantly recently said: “When you get on with someone, it helps on the field. He's a great player. Let's hope Chelsea can do all they can to keep hold of him.”

Yes, it is going to be expensive, although the indications are that Atletico will be prepared to accept a figure in the region of £80million rather than anything close to the ridiculous release clause.

Chelsea have other positions they want to strengthen, too, yet are planning a mass clear-out which should raise a significant amount of revenue and make the dressing room less congested.

The club's co-owners, who are willing to spend more in the transfer market, always had it in their minds to buy Joao Felix if he impresses and they are exploring the possibility.

Who can blame them? I wouldn't say no to a sequel.