How could Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea line up with Joao Felix?

Joao Felix’s return gives Enzo Maresca more to think about (Picture: Getty)

As Joao Felix inches towards his return to Chelsea, Enzo Maresca is left with yet more to think about as his already bloated squad adds another high-profile recruit.

Despite an indifferent six-month loan spell at Stamford Bridge in 2022/23, the Portuguese forward now looks set to return to the club on a permanent basis.

The deal will also allow Conor Gallagher to complete his long-awaited switch to Atletico Madrid after the English midfielder failed to agree terms on a new contract with Chelsea.

Joao Felix once commanded the attention of Europe’s elite clubs when he made an eye-watering €126 million move from Benfica to Atletico in 2019, but the 24-year-old now arrives back in west London with a significantly more muted response.

Perhaps crucially, the bloated and somewhat comedic size of Maresca’s Chelsea squad presents an inauspicious environment for the forward to rediscover his best form.

As the Italian boss considers his options, here is how he could perhaps shoehorn his latest recruit into Chelsea’s starting XI.

Where did Joao Felix play during his previous Chelsea spell?

Joao Felix played a variety of positions during his first spell at Chelsea (Picture: Getty)

Across 20 appearances for Chelsea during his maiden spell, Felix managed to notch up just four goals and no assists in any competition.

Alongside his inability to provide a consistent goal threat, the Portuguese forward was also unable to nail down a regular position in the Blues’ side, making seven appearances as a centre forward, five on the left wing, and six in a second striker role.

Last year on loan at Barcelona, Joao Felix almost exclusively played on the left wing and enjoyed more success, racking up ten goals and four assists for the La Liga club.

Where could Joao Felix play for Chelsea under Enzo Maresca?

Maresca will look to find a place for Joao Felix (Picture: Getty)

Since taking over the reins at Chelsea, Maresca has looked to persist with the possession-heavy 4-3-3 formation that brought him great success with Leicester City in the Championship last season.

Such a formation is without a traditional number 10 meaning it would be unlikely that Joao Felix would find a spot in a second striker role. Even if Maresca were to change his formation to a 4-2-3-1, it is perhaps more likely that Cole Palmer would move into that central role given his great success there last year.

One option could see Joao Felix play out on the left wing as he did for Barcelona last season. Despite impressing in pre-season, that would mean shunting Christopher Nkunku to the bench, while fellow new summer signing Pedro Neto may also find his minutes limited as a result.

Joao Felix could start out on the left wing… (Picture: Metro)

Another option could be to have the Portuguese forward lead the line for Chelsea and replace Nicolas Jackson. The Senegalese international frustrated on the opening weekend against Manchester City and has never truly made that position his own since arriving from Villareal last summer.

A more technical player spearheading Chelsea’s attack could work well under Maresca’s system, but – somewhat similarly to Jackson – Joao Felix has not yet demonstrated a reliable goalscoring ability when leading the line.

Or perhaps up front (Picture: Getty)

A third option could be to deploy Joao Felix further back in midfield as an attacking number eight – a role the aforementioned Nkunku enjoyed in pre-season.

There would, however, be concerns over the 24-year-old’s physicality and Maresca may prefer to persist with the duo of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo despite neither yet to truly flourish at Stamford Bridge since their respective big-money moves.

What do the pundits think?

Joao Felix’s arrival has implications for other players, including new signing Pedro Neto (Picture: Getty)

Speaking on Sky Sports, Gary Neville suspects Joao Felix will likely compete with Jackson for the striker position.

‘Whether you think he is a centre forward or not, [he] will play in that false nine position with the two higher wide players,’ Neville said.

‘I do think that’s where they will look to play him. I don’t think he will play him wide or a number 10 that often because I think Cole Palmer has to play in there.

‘I think he needs the two quicker ones, [Pedro] Neto and [Christopher] Nkunku, I think he plays Felix and then Palmer in behind, which means one of three midfield players will have to be left out.’

Carragher, meanwhile, was far more perplexed about the signing, insisting it was unclear where in Chelsea’s Joao Felix would automatically find a space.

‘Joao Felix. Tell me, where is he going to play? They signed [Pedro] Neto a week ago, they’ve already got Cole Palmer,’ he said.

‘Where are you going to play Enzo Fernandez, a £100million player who plays at No.10? Where are you going to play [Christopher] Nkunku?’

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