Chelsea will not sign on-loan Joao Felix on a permanent deal this summer despite his desire to stay.
The Atletico Madrid forward joined the Premier League on loan in January and played 20 times in all competitions, scoring four goals and making no assists.
And new manager Mauricio Pochettino has already decided he does not want to complete a permanent £15million deal for the Portuguese star.
In a ruthless first move, the Argentine has ditched the player Atletico signed for £114m, the fourth most expensive transfer of all time, in 2019.
The president of Atlético, Enrique Cerezo, has confirmed that the blues will not take the opportunity to sign Félix and has added that he will return to the Spanish capital.
Joao Felix has been dropped by Chelsea in a ruthless move by new boss Mauricio Pochettino
He joined the Blues on loan from Atlético de Madrid in January and has scored four goals in 20 games
But in a ruthless first move as new boss, Mauricio Pochettino has ditched the Portuguese
Cerezo told the Spanish press AS: ‘Yesterday we had the news that the new Chelsea coach (Pochettino) does not (want) João Félix.
‘We have known for less than 24 hours. Will come back here and we’ll see. We have nothing planned.
The news will come as a major blow to the talented 23-year-old, who has spoken openly about his desire to stay in west London and was “desperate” to continue his career there.
He said: “I don’t know my future yet. But these four, five months, I’ve loved it. It’s a top club, everyone at the club was very good to me. My teammates are amazing. I like it a lot be here.
Felix admitted he prefers the attacking freedom and creativity he has at Chelsea, in a clear inquiry with defensive-minded Atletico boss Diego Simeone.
Although his contract was extended by a further four years, until 2027, before his loan deal with the Blues was confirmed, he is out of favor with Simeone and Atlético despite his barred return.
The club have put an £87m price tag on his head and want to recoup that amount before sanctioning a permanent sale this summer. The 30-game Portuguese international has nine goals in all competitions this season: four for Chelsea, five for Atlético.
That tally is similar to his total from his previous three seasons at Atlético – nine, 10 and 10 – but remains a disappointing return for someone of such obvious talent and given his hefty price tag.
The president of Atlético, Enrique Cerezo, has confirmed that Félix will now return to the Spanish capital
Gary Neville (pictured) has slammed Chelsea’s inability to secure a permanent option for Felix
Neville praised the 23-year-old’s performance after scoring against Manchester United
Pochettino has a big plate at Chelsea and will be tasked with trimming the club’s huge wage bill and bloated squad as they look to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations, and Felix is obviously not part of his plans.
Last week Felix, who wants to play in the Champions League next season, dismissed claims he would be joining Newcastle United at the end of the season with an Instagram response.
But when Portuguese channel Eleven Sports posted the story on Instagram. with an image of Felix mocked in a Newcastle shirt, he bit back at them, calling them “a bunch of know-it-alls!” The comment has over 4,000 likes from other football fans.
As reported Mail Sport On Friday, pundit Gary Neville dismissed the failure to include an option to buy in Felix’s loan deal following Manchester United’s 4-1 win against the Blues on Thursday.
Playmaker Felix scored a consolation goal for the visitors at Old Trafford after coming off the bench for interim manager Frank Lampard’s side in the second half.
And Neville was surprised that the London side have not included a permanent one in their deal, despite having invested more than £600m in revenue in the space of a year under American tycoon owner Todd Boehly.
Neville praised Felix’s quality, telling Sky Sports: “He [Felix] he is a correct player, the way he moves with the ball, he looks different.
“He’s so in control, class, real class, he’s got options in front of him, but he thinks, ‘no, I’ll go on my own’, really good ending.” They [Chelsea] they’ve signed everyone, but the player who should have an option doesn’t.
