Joao breathes with relief Chelsea have included him in the official list that they have delivered to UEFA for the final phases of the Champions League, and in which, forced by the regulations that it only allows you to register three new players signed in the winter marketNo less than five of the eight footballers who have arrived at the London club this January had to be ruled out. The blues have also chosen the Argentine Enzo Fernández and the Ukrainian Mukhaylo Mudryk, for whom they have paid 121 and 70 million euros, respectively.
The menino has won the battle against French center-back Benoit Badiahshile, for whom Chelsea paid Monaco 38 million euros, and who has started the last two games offering a great performance. The fact that Graham Potter, Chelsea manager, has many players in the center of defense position has been decisive for the survival of Joao. And all, to the relief of an Atlético who had broken out in cold sweats because he was aware that if he had been left out of the Champions League, the value of the Portuguese would have plummeted.
Joao debuted on January 12 at the stadium Craven Cottage from Fulham playing a good first half, but after 57 minutes he left an unnecessary plate that cost him the expulsion and the consequent sanction of three games without playing, what has left him out of the lineups of Graham Potter in matches against Crystal Palace and Liverpool. The Portuguese will return to activity precisely against Fulham this friday at nine o’clock in the stadium Stamford Bridgein what will be his official presentation to the Chelsea fans.
The London club, which in this winter market has invested 329.5 million euros in transfers, will pay 23.5 million for the six months of Joao’s loan, between the 11.5 that he has paid to Atlético for the player’s loan and the 12 that correspond to 50% of the footballer’s gross salary. No purchase clause has been established -at least officially- in the contract between the two clubs, so Joao in theory must rejoin Atlético de Madrid as soon as the season ends In England. It will be seen then if with more or less value than he had when he packed his bags, but for now the truth is that his English adventure is not turning out to be very lucky. In fact, his expulsion and subsequent three-match ban has cost his club more than three million euros.
