Felix ready to take Chelsea to the top of world football

• Chelsea has signed Portugal forward Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid on a seven-year deal.
• English media reported that Chelsea paid around 46 million pounds ($59.95 million) to secure the 24-year-old's return to Stamford Bridge.
• Felix impressed during his six-month loan spell at Chelsea in the 2022-23 season, scoring four goals in 20 appearances. He spent the last campaign on loan at Barcelona, scoring 10 goals in 44 games.

There’s no hiding the fact that Portuguese attacker João Félix is delighted to be back at Chelsea Football Club.

Having returned to the club following his loan spell in London in the 2022/23 season, Felix looks overjoyed to be back at Cobham.

And he has just bumped into a familiar face.

It’s none other than Chelsea’s other new signing Pedro Neto.

The two are national teammates with Portugal and now will be club teammates too. Neto embraces Felix with a hug before making a joke.

“I am sick of this guy, man. I can only manage him for two weeks at a time,” Neto says as he giggles away and embraces Felix. Neto says he is delighted that Felix has joined him at Chelsea. “It’s really great. What a player and an even better human being,” says Neto.

The Portuguese duo will be central to Chelsea’s ambition of returning to the Champions League, having fallen well short last season.

But Felix is well and truly up for the challenge this season.

“I spoke to the coach, and he showed a lot of interest in having me in the team, and so I couldn’t reject the club, and now I am here.”

“I am going to try and bring goals, assists, and I am going to do everything I can to help the team. To put Chelsea on the top of world football again. Chelsea is a top club and so the club has to be at the top, and I am here to help, and will do everything I can to help the team.”

He has shown his capabilities in his first game back, scoring a stunning goal in Chelsea’s win against Wolves last weekend.

But Felix is just getting started.

He says he has missed the Premier League and cannot wait to play week in and week out for the London club. “I missed being at Chelsea a lot. I miss playing in the Premier League very much. I missed the fans, the environment and the stadium, which is unreal.”

“When I left the first time around, I told all my friends and family that one day I would be back, and now here I am, and I couldn’t be happier.”

He says he is also delighted to see some familiar faces at Cobham and that not much has changed at the training ground since his loan spell. “Not too much has changed, just a few things. I see some familiar faces that I saw when I was here last time and that has been nice. I am really happy to be back.”

“It’s pretty cool to see familiar faces here. Some from the time I spent here the last time and others that I already knew from other clubs or my national team, like Pedro Neto. I texted him to let him know that I was coming.”

He is also looking forward to life in London. “I like London. I think people here respect the private lives of players, and that doesn’t happen in all countries. It’s a good thing. We are football players of course, and we play for the club, but we like to have our lives as well, to be with our families, and to be relaxed, and I think the people here respect that a lot.”

Felix also believes that the Premier League is the best football league in the world, and says he is thrilled to be back. “Compared to the La Liga, where I spent most of my career, the Premier League is more open, more duels, more counter attacks. I think it’s more fun to watch and to play as well, I like to play that kind of game.”

Felix will be in action again this weekend as Chelsea takes on Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, 1 September, streaming live on Showmax Premier League.

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