Mauricio Pochettino believes Chelsea need to take their chances.
Mauricio Pochettino cost former Blues winger Joao Felix over £6million after opting not to bring him in as a permanent fixture this summer. The 23-year-old joined Chelsea on loan last season from Atletico Madrid after falling out of favour with manager Diego Simeone.
Chelsea could have tried to get him permanently this summer, but Pochettino decided he had seen enough. As a result, Felix made the loan switch to Barcelona on deadline day where he is set for a hefty wage cut.
Atletico insisted they would not let him go out on loan again unless 100 per cent of his wages were covered which proved to be a problem for cash-strapped Barca. According to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Felix was forced to halve his £12.5m a year salary in order to facilitate the deal.
If Chelsea had chosen to keep Felix around he would have likely earned himself similar wages at Stamford Bridge, with Todd Boehly and Co never shy to put their hands in their pockets.
Felix also extended his contract at Atletico until 2029 when he accepted a reduction in wages. The Portuguese international faces an uncertain future ahead of him after becoming the club’s all-time record signing in 2019.
Atletico bought Felix for a staggering £113m from Benfica but unfortunately, things haven’t worked out for him the way they would have hoped. Felix has been plagued by injuries during his stint in the red and white and has now fallen out with Simeone.
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The pair went back and forth in the press last year when Felix insinuated that Atletico’s decline in form since winning the La Liga title in 2021 was down to Simeone. He told The Athletic: “I think we all know what the problem is [with the team], I don’t want to say though.”
In response, Simeone fired back: “About what Joao said, you can ask him. I work according to the team. If he is clear about what the problem is, it would be good to know.”
When pressed on Felix’s future in August, Simeone insisted that “no player is bigger than the club” but reports in Spain suggest the 53-year-old was keen to see the back of him and pushed for Felix to go elsewhere this season.
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