Atletico Madrid’s president has confirmed that Chelsea forward Joao Felix will be returning to the Spanish club in La Liga, following news that Mauricio Pochettino declined to include the forward in his team for the upcoming season.
In January, Joao Felix went to Stamford Bridge on a five-month loan from Atleti and broke into the blue’s starting XI, valued at £9m. However, the 23-year-old’s performance was not up to expectation, only scoring four goals in 20 games at Stamford Bridge.
According to Atleti president Enrique Cerezo, Chelsea has decided not to exercise the option to permanently sign Joao Felix, as per the directive of their newly-appointed head coach/manager Pochettino.
During an event in Madrid where he discussed his career and the situation at Atleti, he stated that “currently, there is not much more to say” regarding the report that Pochettino has no plans for him.
No plans have been made as the information has only been known for less than 24 hours.
According to sources, the Chelsea manager has expressed disinterest in retaining the individual in question. It has been reported that the individual’s commitment is set to expire in weeks, after which his future with the team remains uncertain.
Further updates on the situation are yet to be disclosed. As confirmed by sources, the player in question is still under contract with Atletico de Madrid.