Chelsea face stunning Joao Felix transfer claim: He’s still their player!

Confusion reigns over Chelsea’s supposed sale of Joao Felix to Al Nassr last summer, with what was officially announced as a permanent deal suddenly being questioned by those in Saudi Arabia.

Chelsea announced Joao Felix’s departure from the club on 29 July in a deal worth €30 million, with the Portuguese signing a two-year contract with Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr.

With 19 goals and 10 assists in 30 matches for Cristiano Ronaldo’s side, the 26-year-old has been a success with his new team – but doubt has been cast over the nature of his move.

Joao Felix loan claim

Journalist Saud Al Sarami, a former spokesman for Al Nassr, claims that the Saudi Pro League club have only signed a loan agreement with Chelsea for the player, Nabd reports.

If this is accurate, it would mean that Joao Felix will return to Chelsea in 2027 and see out the remainder of his deal at Stamford Bridge, which runs until 2031.

An unreliable witness?

Serious doubts have to be cast on this information, though.

First and foremost, Chelsea clearly announced Joao Felix’s move to Al Nassr as a permanent deal.

The statement confirming the deal of the Premier League side’s official website confirms: “Joao Felix has departed Chelsea and signed a permanent deal with Al Nassr.”

Further to this, Al Sarami has regularly been in the media making controversial statements about the Saudi Pro League side in recent weeks.

For example, he told Al-Arabiya FM that Cristiano Ronaldo should leave his current side.

“Ronaldo is now 40 years old, and the club has recently signed Jhon Duran. I think it would have been better for Cristiano to continue playing in Saudi Arabia, but for a different team instead of Al Nassr,” he said.

Al Sarami has also criticised high-ranking officials at Al Nassr, claiming they “are not doing their jobs properly”.

Analysis: Don’t expect Joao Felix to make Chelsea return

All this would suggest that Al Nassr have signed Joao Felix permanently, as Chelsea indicated, and that the Portuguese will not be returning to Stamford Bridge for yet another spell in West London.

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