Newcastle ‘offered’ chance to sign €100m Chelsea reject; Pochettino could regret hasty decision | OneFootball

Joao Felix has reportedly been ‘offered’ to Newcastle after Chelsea turned down the chance to sign the Atletico Madrid attacker permanently.

In one of his first big calls as Blues manager, Mauricio Pochettino decided against keeping him at Stamford Bridge. This has left the future of the Portuguese star in doubt.

Indeed, Felix has a strained relationship with Diego Simeone, so it’s unlikely he’ll be playing for Atletico next season. As a result, Newcastle has emerged as a potential next destination.

This season, after signing for Chelsea on loan in January, Felix made 20 appearances across all competitions. In the process, he scored four goals.

At times, the attacker looked like the Blues’ best player. However, Pochettino clearly wasn’t convinced enough to sign him permanently.

According to the Daily Mail, Atletico are willing to send Felix out on loan again next season. This has caught the attention of Newcastle, who are looking to bring in some ‘elite’ players this summer.

Now, the report claims that Newcastle have been ‘offered’ the chance to sign Felix, either on a temporary or permanent basis.

As reported by Football365,

The Magpies have enjoyed a tremendous season under Eddie Howe – qualifying for the Champions League for the first time since 2003.

With that in mind, Howe needs to bring in players with the quality to perform at the highest level. Felix has plenty of experience in the Champions League, so he could be an excellent option.

But, one sticking point could be the cost of signing the 23-year-old. Chelsea paid around £9m and covered Felix’s wages worth over £200,000 to borrow him for the second half of the season.

This wage would make him, by far, the highest earner at Newcastle.

In a recent interview, Howe admitted: “We’re not huge players [in terms] of wages in the Premier League, so the big clubs will all dwarf us in terms of that. That makes it hard to attract the very, very best players on the market.”

Clearly, the Newcastle hierarchy will have to put their money where their mouth is to get a deal over the line.

Felix expressed his desire to play Champions League football during his time at Chelsea, something Newcastle can now offer him.

But, so too can Paris Saint-Germain, who have also registered an interest in the attacker.

Therefore, Felix will certainly be a player to watch this summer. Whether or not Newcastle take up the chance to sign him, however, remains to be seen.

If he does head to St James’ Park, though, Pochettino could live to regret his decision, if Felix proves to be a success.

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