Chelsea Pays €52 Million for João Félix and Continues in Disarray

After a series of loans, João Félix has been purchased by Chelsea for €52 million.

The figures are staggering and dangerously inflate the market.

Follow us as we explore why Chelsea is becoming a pariah both in the transfer market and on the pitch.

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The €52 Million for João Félix

The figure mentioned in this headline is an understatement.

He began in Porto’s youth academy but completed his development at Benfica, where he was launched into professional football. Félix was tipped to become one of the world’s most promising players.

Indeed, he caused quite a stir wearing Benfica’s colours in 2019, which earned him the Golden Boy award.

That same year, Atlético Madrid shelled out an incredible €127 million to secure the golden boy.

Image: Charlie Crowhurst/International

However, the investment clearly did not pay off as expected. In 131 matches, he scored 34 goals and provided 18 assists.

As a result, the Spanish capital club decided to send him out on loan.

The Blues paid €11 million to have him for half a season.

This is where the story starts to get even more convoluted. During this spell, he played 20 matches, scored 4 goals, and didn’t register a single assist.

He didn’t have any memorable performances and wasn’t crucial to the team at any point during the 2022/23 season.

After his six-month stint in London, he returned to Atlético Madrid, only to be loaned out again, this time to Barcelona.

He had a decent season at best, scoring 10 goals and providing 6 assists in 44 games.

He wasn’t even a regular starter, which is telling, considering Barça’s squad was far from stellar.

After yet another loan without proving himself as a top-tier player, he returned to Atlético Madrid.

Thus, observing the market, Chelsea decided to splash €52 million to sign him permanently.

Frankly, there’s absolutely no logic to this signing.

Another baffling point is that Chelsea ended up spending €63 million to acquire João Félix (including the initial loan and the permanent transfer), while Barcelona only covered his wages.

As if that wasn’t enough, the contract spans seven years, expiring in 2031.

Even though this might not be a significant metric, it’s worth noting that when he was sold to Atlético Madrid, Félix’s market value was €100 million.

Today, at the time of his purchase by the Blues, João Félix’s market value has dropped to €30 million, the lowest since he turned professional.

That said, it’s important to stress that he’s not a bad player. He has his qualities and could contribute to the team.

The issue here is an unjustified overvaluation. Except for the 2020/21 season, when Atleti won La Liga, there hasn’t been any indication that this player deserves such a standing in the market.

This is reflected in the fact that Atlético Madrid has already acknowledged the failed investment and sold the player for less than half the purchase price (not considering inflation).

Therefore, there’s simply no evidence to justify paying astronomical sums for a player who, over three years, hasn’t delivered what was expected of him.

Image: Getty Images

Chelsea’s Dismal Management

We’ve already mentioned in our series “The Americanisation of Football” the highly questionable decisions of Todd Boehly.

Of course, not only this outlet but all football professionals worldwide can recognise the troubled path Chelsea is currently on.

Since the American took charge of the club, nothing has changed.

The same mistakes continue to be made. Essentially, the owner signs young players with some potential for inflated prices.

To put things into perspective, the team’s average age is 23.6 years. This could be considered an improvement, as last year, it was 22.2 years.

The squad is a jumble of young players, playing at a club under immense pressure, especially given the recent successes under Abramovich.

Economically, the numbers don’t add up. This transfer window sees Chelsea once again at a significant loss, this time €96 million in the red between incomings and outgoings.

The choice of Vincenzo Maresca to replace Mauricio Pochettino might have been interesting at another time.

He was responsible for the excellent campaign in the Championship with Leicester, which brought the 2015/16 Premier League winners back to the top tier of English football as champions.

However, this is not the time for gambles. It’s time to use the seemingly endless funds from Uncle Sam’s land to hire a proven manager, capable of handling the challenges and such a young squad.

There’s no clear playing style in sight, nor are there good prospects for Chelsea this season. Investment without planning has little or no impact.

Do you think Chelsea can surprise this season?

Image: Chelsea

Written by Vitor F L Miller.