Among all the big signings Chelsea have made over the course of the past year, one caught the eye more than others: the arrival of João Félix on loan.
The Atlético Madrid star needed a fresh start after falling out of favour with Diego Simeone, and a move to Stamford Bridge was arranged, with the Blues paying a hefty fee to get him without an option to buy.
This current situation leaves his future ‘up in the air’, which is why Mundo Deportivo look at what it could consist of ahead of the summer, with the option of staying at Chelsea discussed.
The La Liga side are said to be ‘contemplating different scenarios’ when it comes to the Portuguese forward, with the only certainty being that he will return once his time in England ends.
The issue is that Félix has lost some prominence under Frank Lampard since the caretaker manager took over, but that might not be the case with the likely incoming Mauricio Pochettino.
What works in Atlético Madrid’s favour is that those owning Chelsea (read Todd Boehly) ‘want to keep the player’, but aren’t willing to pay the €100m that are being demanded for a permanent transfer.
That’s why ‘the formula of extending the loan for another year is a scenario that is already being contemplated’, although the final say will fall on whoever takes charge of the team in the long-term.
If the loan were to be extended, it’s explained ‘the terms would be similar to the current one’, meaning Chelsea would pay a fee and take on the entirety of the star’s wages, which would combine to a total of ‘about €20m’.
However, should that not materialise, his agent, a certain Jorge Mendes, ‘is already working on other options’ that remain ‘hypothetical’ for the time being.
One of them is he could replace Lionel Messi at Paris Saint-Germain, or end up being the target for another Premier League side willing to take a risk on him.
Either way, a permanent deal with Chelsea seems out of the question for the time being.
