Joao Felix, the £45.5m player, should not be considered as part of Chelsea’s best XI due to his underwhelming performance in La Liga. Therefore, Chelsea is not the ideal environment for him to showcase his talents and excel.

The Portuguese forward may experience excitement upon returning to Stamford Bridge, but, there is a genuine risk that his ‘homecoming’ will rapidly become unpleasant.

Joao Felix expressed his desire for a permanent stay at one club after having played for Chelsea, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid. He made this statement to Chelsea’s official website following his £45.5 million ($59m) transfer from Atletico Madrid on Wednesday. “Chelsea is the ultimate destination for me.” I have identified an ideal location to showcase my talents and abilities. Several factors contributed to my desire to return: the project, the club, the league, the fans, and the enjoyable time I previously spent here. I am delighted to be back.

Felix sincerely believes that he has discovered his “permanent residence” following five exasperating years in La Liga. Furthermore, he expressed his determination that his “most exceptional years are yet to come,” yet he neglected to acknowledge the significant disappointment he has been since his transfer worth €126m (£107m/$140m) from Benfica to Atletico in 2019.

Evidently, he has not devoted much attention to the events occurring behind the scenes at Stamford Bridge throughout this summer. The Chelsea “project” he is investing in appears to be a chaotic and disorganised situation. Todd Boehly and the Clearlake Capital group’s extravagant expenditures resemble a group of children who have fortuitously come across a suitcase filled with money. They appear to lack an understanding of the essential elements required to establish a prosperous club, and show no regard for longstanding traditions and the devoted fans who accompany the team throughout the country.

Due to the erroneous approach, the new head coach Enzo Maresca is now dealing with an excessively large roster, consisting of a total of 42 players upon Felix’s arrival. The competition for attacking positions is quite intense, and it is challenging to envision how the 24-year-old player may fit in, considering that he has not demonstrated consistent mental or physical readiness to perform at the greatest level.
Felix is the 43rd acquisition by Chelsea under the leadership of Boehly, who has invested more than £1.5 billion ($2bn) in new players since acquiring the club from Roman Abramovich in 2022. The Portugal international is the 10th addition in the current transfer window alone. He has signed a six-year contract after ending his association with Atletico, which facilitated Conor Gallagher’s departure in return.

Maresca sought to rationalise the apprehension of Felix by emphasising his adaptability, stating to reporters: “I believe the advantageous aspect of Joao is his ability to perform in many positions inside our team. He has the ability to play in several positions, including as a central striker and on the wings.

Chelsea already have sufficient depth in those areas, as Jamie Carragher highlighted while discussing the acquisition on ‘Monday Night Football’. “Please inform me of the location where he intends to perform,” the frustrated Liverpool icon yelled during the Sky Sports broadcast. “Pedro Neto was recently signed, but considering the presence of Cole Palmer, where will he be positioned?” Where would you position Enzo Fernandez, a £100m player who specialises as a No.10? Where would you position [Christopher] Nkunku on the pitch?

Do Chelsea fans genuinely desire Felix to be selected over any of those players? Neto is more expensive and possesses superior dribbling skills, although Palmer is the most significant offensive danger on the club. Fernandez’s performance has been disappointing since his transfer from Benfica, although he is still regarded as a promising player and has recently been appointed as the vice-captain.

There is no assurance that Felix will be the first substitute player, as Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke are also competing for playing time in forward positions. Additionally, Nicolas Jackson is making progress in the forward position. However, the team is still trying to sign Victor Osimhen to replace the Senegal international before the transfer window closes.

Felix’s desire for a new beginning is understandable, considering his lack of progress at Atletico. However, he will not find the consistent playing time he longs for at Chelsea due to the intense competition for starting positions.