Joao Felix acknowledges that he is still unclear of his long-term plans and is doubtful whether Chelsea will extend his loan from Atletico Madrid permanently in the summer.
Joao Felix joined Chelsea on loan from Atletico Madrid in a £9m deal (AP)
Last month, Chelsea paid a £9 million fee to sign the Portugal international on a temporary deal until the end of the season.
Fexlix has been suspended for Chelsea’s last three games after he was sent off 58 minutes into his debut in the 2-1 defeat to Fulham on January 12.
The 23-year-old is able to make his return for Chelsea’s Premier League clash against West Ham on Saturday, while he has also been added to the club’s 25-man Champions League squad for the knockout stage.
Felix says he has settled in quickly at Chelsea following an early chat with manager Graham Potter but concedes his future is out of his hands as the club will need to negotiate a separate deal with Atletico at the end of the season.
‘They [Chelsea] don’t have a purchase option. They would have to reach an agreement with Atletico,’ Felix said in an interview with AS.
‘I’ve only been here a few weeks, a month. I am learning everything. I am very comfortable but nobody knows the future.
‘I was already looking for a change of scene a while ago because it was difficult to get used to the way of playing.
Joao Felix was sent off 58 minutes into his Chelsea debut last month (Getty)
‘I left [Atletico] because my head was already full from trying so hard and not being able to.
‘It had to be in this market and I think it has been good for Atletico and for me too.
‘Contrary to what many people say, Miguel [Angel Gil, Atletico’s CEO] has always trusted me a lot, he has always broken his arm for me.
‘I have a good relationship with him. I appreciate him letting me leave now because I needed it, I wasn’t right any more.
‘Miguel has always believed in me and I think he still believes. He sees me as a hope for Athletico, but we’ll see.
‘I don’t know what is going to happen in my life, nor is it known what will happen with Cholo [Diego Simeone], as I said, we will have to wait until June.’
When asked about his first impressions of Chelsea, Felix said: ‘It is a great club, as we all know. The facilities are very, very good, they have everything.
‘They have a lot of people around the team so that everything is fine and that makes the difference. It is very well structured.
‘During one of my first days he [Graham Potter] called me into his office. We were talking about his game plan, the plan he has for me. He explained to me how the team plays, what they do.
‘I really liked that he spoke with me. He shows that he is a very good person and a great coach.’
source: metro.co.uk
