A couple of weeks ago, we covered an interview in which Chelsea loanee Nathan claimed he wasn’t keen on returning to the Blues.
Speaking to the Brazilian media, the midfielder said he ‘feels at home’ at his club Atlético Mineiro, and told his father he wants to stay there.
Now Nathan has been speaking to the local press again, this time in a longer chat with UOL. He first explained what went wrong during this time at Chelsea, and then talked about his future a little bit.
The 23-year-old, who signed for the Blues back in 2015, made a joke blaming the English weather, and then said there were several factors going against him.
“The weather, for sure (laughs). Football itself is not something that hinders. These are chances for us to learn about different cultures and schools of world football. It’s more about situations of language, climate and distance from the family that end up weighing more. But as a professional athlete, I never let myself down under these circumstances, as this is part of our trajectory in football. On the pitch I noticed the differences for reasons of competitiveness, gameplay, tactical discipline.”
Nathan continues to say he wants to stay at Atlético, even though he’s still young enough to get more chances in European football. Now he expects Chelsea to be nice to him so he can keep choosing his destinations.
“We extended my contract now in the middle of the year and I feel good here at Galo. Those who take care of it are my representatives. My focus is on the pitch, because my stay here or not depends directly on it. I have a great affection for Atlético and I like Belo Horizonte. I hope everything goes well and we can continue the work here.
“I like to play here in Brazil, but my age still allows me many goals in football. For now, I prefer to focus on work here at Galo. We have a good relationship with the English and they respect our wishes and interests. I want to play more here and let the pitch present new alternatives for my career.”
Since signing for Chelsea in 2015, Nathan has had loan spells at Vitesse, Amiens, Belenenses and Atlético. His contract with the Blues expires next year.
