Chelsea acquired Joao Felix on a permanent transfer last summer, but he has struggled to impress with either the Blues or AC Milan on loan. Now, Chelsea are looking for a new solution for the Portuguese international, and GiveMeSport journalist Ben Jacobs reports that Flamengo are interested.
Clubs around the world are becoming more interested in big names around European football who aren’t wanted by top clubs, because the Club World Cup is on the horizon on June 14 with a billion euros in total prize money up for grabs.
Chelsea still want good money for Joao Felix
Flamengo and other Brazilian clubs are mostly known for producing world-class youngsters, such as current Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior of Flamengo fame, but they are also a haven for Brazilian veterans returning to their home country to enjoy football in their final seasons.
Per Jacobs, Flamengo haven’t submitted any official offer or started official transfer talks with Chelsea for Felix, but they do have preliminary interest in the winger/playmaker, discussing thing with the player and representation side right now.
As for Chelsea, the Blues would be interested in loaning out Joao Felix for the right overall offer and situation. They are willing to sell Felix permanently but not at a discount rate. Chelsea don’t want to take a loss on Felix just yet, having spent a whopping 52 million euros to sign him permanently from Atletico Madrid.
Flamengo themselves are looking for cheap deals, so a loan would make the most sense for both teams from this perspective. The Brazilian giants just signed another huge name in European football for free, inking Arsenal defensive midfielder Jorginho to a deal.
The Club World Cup could be good for Felix
Although Felix has been a massive disappointment in recent seasons, his talent is obvious and he is only 25. In the right role as a playmaker instead of being shoehorned in as a right winger just because he is small and left-footed, Felix could potentially still make a big impact.
At a venue like the Club World Cup, Felix could even shine and attract suitors willing to spend even more money than what Flamengo have available, since he wouldn’t have to defend as much and could have his individual technical quality shine more, especially against opponents that aren’t the level of what Chelsea face every week in the Premier League.
Felix’s situation is worth monitoring, and it looks like he could become the latest former Chelsea starter to make a splash at the Club World Cup this summer, whether that is a short-term loan to Flamengo or even somewhere else.
Joe Soriano covers Tottenham for FanSided’s Hotspur HQ and writes about Real Madrid for The Real Champs. He has extensive experience covering world football since 2014. Joe is an editor for The Trivela Effect, where he covers the biggest clubs in European football. He has watched professional sports regularly since 2002 and can be found playing the same sports he covers with his friends.