Pochettino denied Felix opportunity to remain at Chelsea after loan spell, confirms Fabrizio

Chelsea’s attempt to bring back Joao Felix to Stamford Bridge has intensified as his agent, Jorge Mendes, remains in London.

Mendes is yet to travel back to Spain due to negotiations with Chelsea for the Portuguese forward’s potential return.

Meanwhile, football insider Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Chelsea’s management initially wanted to retain Felix after his loan spell last summer, but the then newly appointed manager Mauricio Pochettino vetoed the move.

The renewed interest in Felix comes as Chelsea’s planned acquisition of Atletico Madrid’s Samu Omorodion collapsed at the eleventh hour due to unforeseen complications.

The deal, which was meant to proceed alongside Conor Gallagher’s transfer to Atletico, has left all parties searching for alternatives.

Atletico Madrid had earmarked the €42 million expected from Omorodion’s sale to help finance their pursuit of Julián Álvarez, who is already in Madrid to finalize his transfer from Manchester City.

With his funding now in jeopardy, the focus has shifted back to Felix, who is reportedly keen to make the return to Chelsea.

Felix’s agent, Mendes, has been actively engaged in talks with Chelsea, with a potential £43 million (€50 million) transfer on the table.