Joao Felix has already been convinced by the quality of one of his new teammates at Stamford Bridge after signing for Chelsea on loan. The 23-year-old has joined on a six-month deal from Atletico Madrid in a bid to help Graham Potter stimulate attacking creativity and flair for the rest of the season.
With injuries to attacking players and reinforcements needed in January, Chelsea turned to one of Europe's previous Golden Boy winners. Felix was amongst the highest rated forwards in his age group when he moved to Spain in 2019 but has stagnated since then.
Chelsea have taken a risk on the deal, paying £11million plus his wages for the temporary services of the Portugal international but they will be hoping he can help to lead a second half of the season upturn in form as well as adding life to his own career.
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Manchester United and Arsenal were both keen on bringing him in but were less keen on the fees demanded by Diego Simeone's side. It is now down to Potter to get the best out of his newest addition and he could turn to some pre-existing chemistry in order to make it happen.
Speaking in 2021, Felix praised Mason Mount, saying: "I like the way he plays, the way he likes to drag the ball, the way he touches the ball. I played with Chris Willock in Benfica three or four years ago and he told me that Chelsea has a guy that he sees who is similar to me and he told me it was Mason Mount."
Willock to Felix is an obscure link to get to Mount, but the former West Brom and current QPR midfielder played for England's youth sides alongside Mount and saw his talents first-hand. Although Felix is a more orthodox forward with speed and trickery than Mount, primarily a midfielder, the jinks and turns on the ball are perhaps comparable.
"A few years later he appeared in Chelsea and I like the way he plays," Felix continued. "Chris had told me about him before he appeared in the Premier League, so I was waiting to see him."
Felix's big break on the world football stage came at around the same time that Mount was to make his Chelsea debut under Frank Lampard in 2019. Since that point Mount has one less goal than Felix at club level (33) but has 19 more assists. Albeit he has played over 50 times more, it does show the level of output that the 24-year-old has been able to produce for his boyhood club.
They have only ever been on the pitch at the same time as each other for 74 minutes during these years, when Chelsea beat Atletico home and away in the Champions League last-16 in 2021. Felix has already met up with and spoken to Reece James and Kai Havertz too, bumping into each other in London.
Mount is currently going through his worst run of form as a Chelsea first team player though and has only scored in one game in the league this season despite racking up double figures for both goals and assists last term. His performances have been worrying as well because he has been moved into a deeper role more often under Potter.
Felix is a man that will be tasked with taking away some of the creative burden placed on Mount and maybe the pair can hit off a relationship on the pitch that gets the best out of them both.
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