Chelsea fans probably don’t recognise their club since Roman Abramovich was forced to sell up.
The new ownership, led by American Todd Boehly, can’t be criticised for not spending money because they have done so in absolute bucket loads.
It’s that some feel it has been done like they are playing Football Manager and there has been a lack of brains behind some of their crazy deals.
One of the questionable signings brought in by the powers that be at Chelsea was the six-month loan of Portugal superstar, Joao Felix.
The 24-year-old moved to Chelsea in January 2023 when Graham Potter was in charge and ended the season with Frank Lampard in the dugout, even though the season started with Thomas Tuchel.
It didn’t help Felix’s cause that his expensive loan deal saw him red-carded on debut, score only four goals and complete 90 minutes on only three occasions.
The versatile forward spent the recent season on loan at Barcelona and is part of Portugal’s squad for Euro 2024.
Before Portugal lost their final group game to Georgia, Gary Neville and Roy Keane were discussing the man who once donned Chelsea colours.
Neville stated that he ‘really likes’ Felix as a player and feels it’s a ‘shame’ what has happened to him in recent times.
But Keane completely disagreed and called him a ‘fizzy drink’, with his former Manchester United teammate labelling those comments as ‘disrespectful’, as he told ITV Sport.
Felix proceeded to play the entire game against Georgia, but he couldn’t make his mark for Roberto Martinez’s side who had already progressed to the knockout stages and will play Slovenia in the last-16 after the draw was confirmed.
Joao Felix at Chelsea
“I really like Joao Felix, not that he will come into the team (for the knockout stages), I don’t think Roy (Keane) agrees with me, but I really like him,” said Neville.
Keane responded: “Fizzy drink. He’s a fizzy drink.” To which Neville could be heard in the background saying: “It’s disrespectful that.”
The former midfielder then explained: “You know what, he is inconsistent. He has got talent, of course, but my God, he can frustrate you. Just inconsistent.”
Neville then added: “I think it’s a shame what has happened to him in the last few years. You think of Chelsea. He showed glimpses of what he can do.”
Joao Felix finding his feet at Barcelona
Ever since Felix came onto the scene a a fresh-faced teenager at Benfica, there were big, big things expected of him.
That’s why he made a big-money move to Atletico Madrid, but he just couldn’t find his feet in Diego Simeone’s robust and hard-hitting system.
That road then led him to Chelsea and he further dented his reputation by flopping on the Premier League stage.
But he has now found his feet at Barcelona, scoring ten goals last term and sources have told HITC that the Spanish club want to bring him back next term.
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