Ally McCoist ‘can’t believe’ Chelsea are paying Atletico Madrid £10m to sign Joao Felix in a loan transfer. The Arsenal target travelled to England for his medical on Tuesday morning.
That is according to Cadena SER, which reports the Blues should announce Felix’s arrival at Stamford Bridge in the coming hours. The west London natives have agreed to pay Atletico Madrid €11m (£10m) for a six-month deal. They will also pay his Colchoneros salary in full.
Chelsea will not gain the option or an obligation to buy Felix at the end of his loan transfer, either. His move will simply be a dry loan after the 23-year-old asked Metropolitano chiefs to let him leave. The forward is not happy with the game time that Diego Simeone has offered.
Felix enjoyed his 20th appearance of the season in all competitions as Atletico Madrid lost 1-0 to Barcelona on Sunday. He featured for 73 minutes after starting a La Liga meeting for the seventh time through 14 outings this term. He has scored four and created three goals.
The 28-cap Portugal international also scored once in the Copa del Rey in his only outing in this season’s edition. But he could not find the net or lay on an assist through five matches in the Champions League. The forward only started three of the Colchoneros’ Group B ties.
Chelsea stun McCoist with the transfer of Arsenal target Felix from Atletico Madrid
So, Atletico Madrid have now agreed to send Felix to Chelsea in a loan transfer, ending any hopes Arsenal had. The Daily Record noted that the Gunners and Manchester United were also in talks with the Colchoneros. But the attacker favoured the move to Stamford Bridge.
Yet the money involved with Chelsea paying £10m and his £155k-a-week wage in full stuns McCoist. He struggles to believe a club would pay such an amount for a temporary deal for a player they will not buy. The iconic Rangers boss also doubts if Felix is who Chelsea need.
“I’ve got to say I can’t believe we’re paying £10m for a loan now – absolute madness,” said McCoist on talkSPORT. “I like Joao Felix [but] I don’t think he’s the answer to Chelsea’s problems. They need a centre-forward. Plus, I don’t think he’s consistent enough.
“I watched him closely at the World Cup and I thought he did some brilliant things. I thought he had one or two good games. But he’s one of those players, for me, he just leaves you wanting a little bit more.”
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