Where Enzo Maresca wants to play Joao Felix could be bad news for £52m Chelsea man

Chelsea are close to finalising a deal to re-sign former loanee Joao Felix.

The Portuguese attacker has agreed to a move back to Stamford Bridge with Atletico Madrid preparing for Conor Gallagher to move the other way (David Ornstein).

Felix, 24, spent the second half of the 2022-23 season on loan with Chelsea, and although he failed to set the Premier League alight, was able to net four goals from 20 appearances.

And now set to return to London, the 24-year-old, who, according to Florian Plettenberg, has signed a six-year deal, is about to be unveiled as Enzo Maresca’s 10th signing of the summer.

Where will Joao Felix play at Chelsea?

However, despite the excitement surrounding Felix’s return, with Chelsea and Maresca having so many attackers among their options, many fans have been wondering where the soon-to-be former Atletico Madrid star could play.

Well, according to a recent report from The Athletic, Chelsea believe Felix’s attributes make him a ‘perfect fit’ for Maresca’s ‘possession-focused positional style of play’, meaning he is likely to be played as an ‘advanced left-sided number eight’.

The Portuguese forward’s arrival could spell bad news for Christopher Nkunku, who The Athletic say has a ‘similar positional profile’.

The Frenchman, who started against Manchester City on Sunday but was ineffective, was signed from RB Leipzig for a reported £52 million last year. An injury-struck opening campaign hindered his chances though, and now it’ll be interesting to see where he fits in, if at all.