Arsenal star Declan Rice has played against Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard so Joao Felix verdict speaks volumes
Declan Rice may not be thrilled at the prospect of Joao Felix returning to the Premier League.
The Atletico Madrid star is being linked with a return to Chelsea, and Rice has previously made his thoughts on him clear.
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Felix spent the second half of the 2022/23 season on loan at the Blues from Atletico, and lined up against the current Arsenal man whilst he was still at West Ham.
And the forward made quite the impression on him during the 1-1 encounter between the two sides in February 2023, with Felix scoring Chelsea's goal that day.
After the match, Rice singled out Felix for praise, admitting he had been impressed by the Portugal international's quality.
The former Hammers captain said: "I’ve played against a lot of midfielders and No.10s and the first 10 or 15 minutes today as a player you know a top player.
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"The way he worked from side to side to get on the ball and find space, he’s an unbelievable player. I noticed that straight away. You have to be really on your game with players like him."
Despite making his mark on Rice, however, Felix's spell in west London was widely considered underwhelming, scoring just four goals in 20 appearances.
The 24-year-old returned to Atletico at the end of the 2022/23 campaign, before spending the following season on loan at league rivals Barcelona, where he found the net 10 times in all competitions, and delivered six assists.
But the attacker is now believed to be keen on making a return to the Premier League, with journalist Fabrizio Romano reporting he has already said yes to the move.
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The Blues are looking to push through Conor Gallagher's move to the LaLiga side by bringing in Felix, after forward Samu Omorodion’s transfer to Chelsea collapsed.
A permanent deal for Felix, which would reportedly be for around £43million, would then allow Atletico to recover funds to bankroll their move for Gallagher and Julian Alvarez, who joined from Man City on Monday.
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Should the 2019 Golden Boy winner head back to London, he would become the club's tenth signing of an extravagant summer transfer window.
Felix's international teammate Pedro Neto recently made the switch to Stamford Bridge from Wolves for £51.4m, while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Toisin Adarabioyo have also been standout recruits, joining from Leicester and Fulham respectively.
New Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca will be hopeful that a move for the Atletico target can help him discover some of the form that saw him named the Spanish giants' Player of the Season in 2022.
And if there is one player who is well aware of the threat Joao Felix could pose to Premier League defences in the upcoming campaign, it's Rice.
Chelsea's 2024 summer signings
It has been a busy summer for Chelsea so far
Pedro Neto - £51.4m from Wolves
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall - £30m from Leicester
Filip Jorgensen - £20.7m from Villarreal
Omari Kellyman - £19m from Aston Villa
Aaron Anselmino - £15.6m from Boca Juniors
Renato Veiga - £12m from Basel
Caleb Wiley - £8.5m from Atlanta
Marc Guiu - £5m from Barcelona
Tosin Adarabioyo - Free transfer
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