DONE DEAL: Joao Felix has now returned to Chelsea after saying yes to a deal bid of £56 million offered by Chelsea.

DONE DEAL: Joao Felix has now returned to Chelsea after saying yes to a deal bid of £56 million offered by Chelsea.

Chelsea have reunited in their pursuit of Joao Felix to further bolster Enzo Maresca’s attacking prowess this season, with a lot of speculation going on between the two clubs.

According to reports from the Athletic, Chelsea could sign the young star, but it remains to be seen if his would fit Enzo Maresca’s style of play.

Joao Felix feels like a luxury. That is the sort of player he is and with Chelsea’s current options in attack, adding him in the next couple of weeks would fit the description of that word.

There is no denying Felix’s talent. It is simply extraordinary. But there are doubts whether he will fit into the system under Enzo Maresca at Stamford Bridge.

The 24-year-old is one of those players that can be used sort of anywhere on the front line. A Swiss Army knife. This is the sort of player Maresca wants at the club, so in that regard, it does make perfect sense. But he does, of course, have a preferred position.

Speaking in 2023, Felix said: “My best position is as the second forward. Playing like a No.10, with a guy in front of me.”

With the arrival of Pedro Neto, one would assume the winger will play on the right-hand side of the attack, leaving last season’s star player Cole Palmer surely in the middle as a No. 10. Then you have Christopher Nkunku, who in pre-season was being used somewhere in between a No. 8 and a No. 10.

There is, of course, the option for Neto to go on the left wing, Felix in the middle, and Palmer on the right, all playing behind Nkunku, who was experimented with as a No. 9 at times during pre-season. Either way, all of the Chelsea attackers should get minutes in what is expected to be a really action-packed campaign.

Of course, there is no guarantee that Felix is even signed. The Blues remain in talks with Atleti over a possible move for the Portugal international, who played at Stamford Bridge during the 2022–23 season. There is growing confidence from Felix’s side that a deal can be struck between the two clubs, with personal terms not being an issue.

Chelsea head into their Premier League season on Sunday with a clash against champions Manchester City. Felix would need to be signed by 12 p.m. on Friday afternoon to be eligible for the game, which, right now, looks virtually impossible with no deal thought to be too close.