Koke, a midfielder for Atletico Madrid, has expressed his belief that Joao Felix still has a future with the club despite his loan spell at Chelsea. Felix joined Chelsea on loan in the January transfer window and had a difficult start, being sent off in his debut against Fulham. However, he has since impressed for the team.
Felix had previously expressed his desire to leave Atletico after his relationship with Diego Simeone deteriorated earlier in the season. However, Koke believes that his career with Atletico should not be written off just yet. Speaking about the departures of Felix and Matheus Cunha, who joined Wolves on loan from Atletico in January, Koke said, “They were important players within the team. They made the decision to leave. Joao transferred and Cunha transferred. They are decisions of each one. Totally respectable.”
Koke went on to say that Felix is “picking up the rhythm of the games” and “gaining confidence for the coming season to come back here.” He also wished Cunha all the best.
Felix himself has expressed uncertainty about his long-term future but has made it clear that he is happy at Chelsea. He said, “In terms of if I want to stay or not, I think the future, no-one knows. Now I am just focused on tomorrow’s game. After that, we don’t know what will happen. But I am happy here. The club is so big is amazing, everyone behind the club is so good so yes I am happy to be here.”
When asked if playing in the Champions League would be a deciding factor in his next move, Felix replied, “Playing Champions League is always different. It is the competition that everyone wants to play.”
It remains to be seen what Felix’s future holds, but Koke’s comments suggest that Atletico Madrid still see potential in the young forward.