Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke believes Joao Felix still has a future in the Spanish capital.
The Portugal international left the LaLiga giants in January but not before signing a new contract running until the summer of 2027.
Now enjoying a loan spell with Chelsea, the 23-year-old has emerged as a key player under Graham Potter.
Felix has started the Blues’ last seven games across all competitions, scoring once in that time and recovering from a shock red card on his debut away at Fulham.
The forward has previously expressed a desire to stay at Stamford Bridge but the club would have to agree a new fee with Atletico on top of the £11m they are paying for the short-term loan until the end of the season.
Former teammate Koke, however, believes Felix’s form at Chelsea is more of an indication that he will return to the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in a better place, rather than a long-term stay in west London.
”They made the decision to leave,” he told Mundo Deportivo.
“Joao transferred and Cunha transferred. They are decisions of each one. Totally respectable.
‘Joao is picking up the rhythm of the games, he is gaining confidence for the coming season to come back here.”
