The imminent arrival of Joao Felix on loan from Atletico Madrid will not solve Chelsea’s multitude of issues, according to pundits Micah Richards and Chris Sutton.
Graham Potter’s side are in a horrible run of form – most recently losing 4-0 against Manchester City in the FA Cup – and are struggling for goals, having netted just 20 times in 17 Premier League matches.
They could be without marquee summer signing Raheem Sterling for a prolonged spell after he picked up a hamstring injury, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has only netted once in the league.
That has forced the Blues to swoop for Felix, who has become surplus to requirements at Atletico after falling out of favour with manager Diego Simeone.
Chelsea have agreed to pay a massive loan fee worth around £10million to sign the Portuguese forward on loan until the end of the season, in addition to covering his wages in full – which amounts to another £5m.
But Felix has been far from prolific since leaving Benfica for Madrid in 2019 and both Richards and Sutton are not convinced his arrival will suddenly improve Chelsea’s fortunes.
‘It’s not going to solve their problems. It’s a really good signing but I think they need to back it up with an actual number nine,’ said Richards on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club.
‘They need bodies through that door sooner rather than later, because this is not the Chelsea we are used to seeing.’
Sutton, meanwhile, said his old club’s approach to targeting players was like playing ‘pin the tail on the donkey’.
He explained: ‘This season, they have basically been making it up as they go along – and this is the issue with the Joao Felix signing now.
‘To me, it just seems like a deal where they just need to sign anybody and hope he can come in – because he is a quality player – and hit the ground running.
‘They miss Reece James, Ben Chilwell, N’Golo Kante – I get that – but the bottom line is there are still enough good players within the Chelsea ranks for them to be performing better than they are.’
Felix touched down in London on Tuesday and will undergo a medical before the loan is rubberstamped, with Chelsea having no option to buy the 23-year-old at the end of his stay.
The Portuguese attacker has only netted 34 goals in his 130 appearances for Atletico since making a £112m move from Benfica in 2019, struggling to live up to his massive price tag and hype.
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