Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has stated that Portuguese attacker Joao Felix will be welcomed back to the club if Chelsea don’t his move permanent.
Felix joined Chelsea on loan in January as part of the mid-season transfer activity at Stamford Bridge. However, he has only managed to score two goals in 11 Premier League appearances so far, and as a result, Frank Lampard has kept him on the bench in the last two games.
Despite the strained relationship that Felix had with Atletico boss Diego Simeone before leaving on loan, the club is willing to find a place for him if he returns next season.
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Asked about the forward’s future, Cerezo told Cadena SER: “You can’t anticipate things, everything is yet to be seen. Chelsea are a big team that can count on him.
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“If he comes back, he will be well received, if he returns. Nothing can ever be ruled out in football, you can’t take anything for granted.”
Atletico are two points behind second-placed Real Madrid in LaLiga after winning six successive league games, but Cerezo does not believe their improved form can be attributed to Joao Felix’s exit.
“The circumstances of each team are different,” he said. “Joao was under a lot of pressure, he’s a star, but here he hasn’t had the luck to show it.
“He’s going to be a great player, and not in the very distant future.“