Declan Rice may not be keen on the prospect of Joao Felix returning to the Premier League.
The Atletico Madrid star has been linked with a return to Chelsea and Rice has previously made his opinion about him clear.
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Felix spent the second half of the 2022/23 season on loan from Atletico to the Blues, facing the current Arsenal player when he was still at West Ham.
And the striker made a big impression on him in the 1-1 meeting between the two sides in February 2023, when Felix scored the goal for Chelsea that day.
After the game, Rice particularly praised Felix and admitted that he was impressed by the quality of the Portuguese international.
The former Hammers captain said: “I have played against a lot of midfielders and number 10s and in the first 10 or 15 minutes today you realise as a player that he is a top player.
“The way he runs from side to side to get the ball and find space makes him an incredible player. That’s what I noticed straight away. With players like him, you really have to be on top of things.”
Although Felix made his mark at Rice, his time in west London was widely viewed as disappointing, scoring just four goals in 20 appearances.
The 24-year-old returned to Atletico at the end of the 2022/23 season before spending the following season on loan at league rivals Barcelona, where he scored ten times and provided six assists in all competitions.
But now it is said that the attacker is very interested in returning to the Premier League; journalist Fabrizio Romano reported that he has already agreed to the move.
By signing Felix, the Blues are hoping to complete Conor Gallagher’s move to the La Liga team after the transfer of striker Samu Omorodion to Chelsea fell through.
A permanent deal for Felix, reportedly worth around £43m, would then allow Atletico to recoup the funds needed to transfer Gallagher and Julian Alvarez, who joined from Man City on Monday.
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Should the 2019 Golden Boy winner return to London, he would be the club’s tenth signing in an extravagant summer transfer window.
Felix’s international teammate Pedro Neto recently moved to Stamford Bridge from Wolves for £51.4million, while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Toisin Adarabioyo are also among the standout signings, arriving from Leicester and Fulham respectively.
New Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca hopes a transfer for Atletico’s targeted player can help him return to the form that earned him the Spanish giants’ Player of the Season award in 2022.
And if there is one player who is aware of the threat Joao Felix could pose to Premier League defences next season, it is Rice.
Chelsea’s new signings in summer 2024
It has been a busy summer for Chelsea so far
Pedro Neto – £51.4m from Wolves
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – £30 million from Leicester
Filip Jorgensen – £20.7m from Villarreal
Omari Kellyman – £19 million from Aston Villa
Aaron Anselmino – £15.6m from Boca Juniors
Renato Veiga – £12 million from Basel
Caleb Wiley – £8.5 million from Atlanta
Marc Guiu – £5 million from Barcelona
Tosin Adarabioyo – free transfer