Cesar Azpilicueta has insisted that Joao Felix is a ‘special talent’ after impressing in the early weeks of his Chelsea career. The 23-year-old was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal and Manchester United throughout the January transfer window but, after the Blues entered the race late, he opted for a switch to Stamford Bridge instead. While Felix arrived with a world-class reputation to uphold, he still managed to leave Azpilicueta in awe. Speaking to the press ahead of the Blues’ clash with Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League,
Cesar Azpilicueta said: “Yeah, he is [a special talent]. I knew him from when we played against Atletico and then watching the games in La Liga. But I was quite surprised when he arrived because the quality that he has is amazing in training. In the last game against West Ham, he showed the way he can turn, create spaces and pass, “In training, he’s been unbelievable. Honestly, he’s been very good. Scoring a goal will also help [boost] his confidence. He’s already making a huge impact on the team, and I’m looking forward to seeing him every day and perform at this level.”
After impressing at the London Stadium, Felix quickly set his sights on the Champions League tie. Speaking to Chelsea TV,
Joao Felix said: “Now the focus is on the next game. The most important game is always the next one. It’s the Champions League, it’s a competition we want to win. Our Champions League [campaign] starts on Wednesday, and it needs to be ours.”
Despite Felix’s instant impact in west London, Graham Potter has been quick to brush off claims that he’s a ‘silver bullet’.
Graham Potter said: “The first signs were positive. I think he’s a very gifted individual. Then it’s about how he fits in with the rest of the guys and the team. It’s about the team attacking better and defending better. It’s not necessarily about individual silver bullets that can come and fix your problems all of a sudden. It’s not quite as simple as that, although it sounds like a nice way to fix a problem. You have to construct a team. I thought he looked the best player on the pitch. (A misjudged tackled) can happen. If you look at the 60 minutes before, he was taking the ball in tight situations, there was real physicality around him, and he was in my opinion the best player on the pitch.”
