Opinion: Felix could finally fix what ails Chelsea's frontline
Opinion: Felix could finally fix what ails Chelsea's frontline
The London club added a talented forward to what's been a toothless offense
The January transfer window continues and one of the biggest signings of the month so far took place Wednesday when striker Joao Felix joined Chelsea on loan.
The Portugal international joined the London club as it continues to struggle in front of goal. The move comes as Atletico Madrid said it had extended Felix’s contract for another year to June 2027.
“He is a quality player,” Chelsea manager Graham Potter told reporters. “He can make a difference in the final third of the pitch. Young, but has obviously still had a lot of really good experience so he is just a quality player who gives everybody a lift.”
Felix is only 23, but he can help fix Chelsea’s scoring problems this season. A side plagued by injuries and unable to get the ball up the field, Potter’s team has been terrible in the final third.
Chelsea — currently an abysmal 10th in the Premier League table — have scored just 20 goals in 17 league matches. Those 20 goals are similar to what relegation-threatened teams produce at this stage of the season.
In addition, 10 players are currently injured — including USMNT striker Christian Pulisic who could be out as much as two months — as Potter scrambles to field a competitive side.
Potter could very well start Felix in Thursday’s road game against Fulham. The trio of Hakim Ziyech, Mason Mount and Kai Havertz failed to get anything going this past Sunday in the third round match of the FA Cup against Manchester City.
Manchester City won the game 4-0 as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the striker signed last summer as the answer to Chelsea’s offensive problems, was left off the team. He hasn’t started a game for Chelsea since November.
Felix is the type of player who can score goals — a striker who doesn’t necessarily need a great supporting cast. On the downside, he’s being called upon to score goals early — and often — and that won’t be easy for a player who has never played a Premier League match.
But Felix is the type of player who can make an immediate impact as Chelsea try to push up the table in order to secure a spot in next season’s European competitions.
Felix will also be of value starting next month when Chelsea, who play German side Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League round of 16, try to make a deep run in Europe’s top club competition.
“I’m focused on helping the team,” Felix said in an interview posted to Chelsea’s website.
For Felix, this is an audition of sorts. It’s a chance to show everyone how talented he really is after Atleti manager Diego Simeone had largely snubbed him this season. Whether that means a future at Atletico in a post-Simeone world or a longer deal with Chelsea, that remains to be seen.
For now, there is little margin for error. It’s a lot to ask, but Felix could very well be the one who saves Chelsea from a terrible season.