Joao Felix has offered a key hint that he plans to stay at Premier League faltering giants Chelsea this summer.
The Portuguese international has consistently struggled to nail down a regular starting berth under Diego Simeone following his arrival in Madrid from Benfica in 2019.
As Los Rojiblancos looked to cut their bloated wage bill in the January transfer window, Chelsea secured a short-term loan move for Felix, but with no purchase clause included.
Despite receiving a red card on his Premier League debut, the Blues are thrilled with his impact, and there are reports that they are prepared to offload Mason Mount in order to keep him.
Recent reports have suggested that Chelsea are ready to open talks with Atletico over a permanent move for Felix at the end of the campaign, with an asking price of £80 million.
Atletico are ready to cut their losses on Felix, instead of looking to recoup as much of their initial £113m as possible, and Felix has confirmed he is loving life in London.
Speaking to Eleven Portugal, Felix said: “The position I play, and the way we play at Chelsea is different to Atletico.
“Clearly I have more freedom to put my football into practice, to be at my best to help the team.
“I feel good playing here. It’s just a matter of getting results and it will be perfect.”
Felix has also highlighted how Blues fans chanting for him has welcomed him to the club in comparison to his time in Spain.
He continued: “I spent three and a half years at Atletico and I never had a chant.
“Here in the first game I had one, but here it’s normal, they’ve got one for almost every player. It was funny.”
Since taking over last summer, Chelsea’s co-owners have spent more than £500 million on new recruits, not including add-ons. They paid Joao Felix’s whopping loan fee cost £9.7 million, a decision that was criticised at the time, but one can see why the 23-year-old is so highly regarded.
A flair attacking midfielder who can dribble, shoot from distance and score goals, Felix oozes confidence and is just box office with his tricks and flicks, getting fans off their seats.
He looks perfectly at home at Stamford Bridge and is already making a case for longer stay.