Chelsea confirms the jersey number that Joao Felix will wear during games for the Blues
Joao Felix will be on loan from Atletico Madrid to Chelsea for a fee of £11 million, with Chelsea covering all of his salary through the end of the current campaign.
The rumours follow the Blues’ interest in the Portuguese star, who, prior to joining Chelsea, had extended his contract with Atletico Madrid through 2027.
Following his signing, Chelsea disclosed the Atletico Madrid player’s jersey number. Although the 23-year-old is not a fan of number 11 since his preferred number is 79, which he requested when playing for Atletico Madrid but was given seven instead.
However, at Chelsea, the player couldn’t wear number seven since N’Golo Kante uses it while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been assigned number nine.
Felix was left to choose his fourth-choice number, 11, which has been worn by several legendary players at Chelsea.
Didier Drogba, one of Chelsea’s best strikers, is typically named first, when the number 11 is mentioned since his departure, only a select few players have inherited that number’s weight.
Only five players, including Drogba, at Chelsea, were able to reach the 11-player mark. The number was first worn by Damien Duff, then by Dennis Wise, Oscar, Pedro, and finally Didier Drogba.
As their successor must live up to that number and perform in the games, it is also said that shirt numbers have a significant impact. Shirt numbers are said to have value as well, and in selected leagues, the jersey number of a renowned player is retired out of admiration.
The 23-year-old is now the new number 11, although the pressure won’t be too much. He joined the club amid a poor run, and Graham Potter will rely on him throughout the season.
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The West Londoners also required an offensive player with versatility and the ability to create opportunities. Felix will be thrown into a new environment where things move quickly, and if he doesn’t adapt, he’ll just end up being another ineffective signing similar to the previous one.