Joao Felix and Chelsea: A possible loan and the Atlético Madrid chapter
Chelsea is reportedly close to securing a loan deal for the Portuguese forward Joao Felix. The midfielder turned attacker has not fully met expectations since his arrival as a high-profile recruit. The move would see Felix join Chelsea on a temporary basis, with discussions suggesting a loan through June 30. A loan fee around 11 million euros is being considered, along with Felix’s salary covering the remainder of the season.
Regardless of where his career may lead next, Joao Felix has not fully fulfilled the promises placed on him by Atletico Madrid. The Portuguese international became the club with the largest investment in its history when he joined in July 2019 for 127 million euros, signing a seven-year contract with a release clause near 350 million euros. The long-term commitment underscored the high expectations surrounding his potential impact at the Spanish capital club.
Over three-and-a-half seasons with the mattress club, Felix has shown moments of brilliance but has struggled to sustain peak performance across campaigns. A review of his statistics since arriving at the rojiblanca entity highlights the inconsistency in delivering prolonged influence on the field.
Joao Felix at Atletico Madrid: appearances, goals and honours
Felix joined Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2019 and has appeared in 131 matches for the club in all competitions. Across these appearances, he has netted 34 goals and supplied 16 assists, yielding an overall goal contribution roughly every 3.87 games. This scoring rate sits below the level he achieved earlier with his boyhood club, where he found the net 20 times in 43 appearances, adding 11 assists and a higher goals-per-game ratio.
During his time with Atletico Madrid, Felix was part of a title-winning squad in La Liga for the 2020-21 season, contributing as a key attacker in a campaign that saw the team secure the league crown. In that defensive-yet-fluid setup, he ranked among the club’s top scorers, with seven league goals that season, while teammates Luis Suarez, Marcos Llorente, and Angel Correa also produced double-digit tallies.
As of January 9, 2023, Felix’s Atletico Madrid ledger included:
- Matches: 131
- Goals: 34
- Assists: 16
- Scoring average: 0.26 per game
These figures reflect a player who has maintained a consistent presence for Atletico Madrid but has yet to fully unlock the elite output some expected from his teenage breakthrough at Benfica. The broader narrative around his career at Atletico remains one of considerable talent paired with periods of variability rather than uninterrupted, runaway effectiveness. The ongoing speculation about his future continues to center on how a loan move or a permanent transfer could recalibrate his development trajectory and fit within competing tactical systems. The discussions around a potential Chelsea loan illustrate the market’s belief that a different environment could help Felix maximize his abilities by offering new roles, responsibilities, and strategic responsibilities that align with his strengths.
Overall, the Atletico Madrid chapter of Joao Felix’s career is marked by a high ceiling, early promise, and a search for sustained consistency. Whether his next move proves to be a bridging step to greater things or a longer-term misalignment with the club’s plans remains a topic of robust, ongoing interest among fans, analysts, and practitioners across European football.
Attribution: This summary draws on commonly reported statistics and historical club records to characterize Joao Felix’s tenure at Atletico Madrid and to contextualize current transfer discussions.