Michael Owen has declared that he is a "huge fan" of João Félix and believes Manchester United should have signed the attacker before he joined Chelsea.

Michael Owen has said he admires João Félix greatly and that Manchester United should have signed the "incredible" attacker before he joined Chelsea.

Félix transferred to Chelsea from Atlético Madrid on a permanent deal for £42.5 million, and the 26-year-old delivered an impressive debut season despite the team's struggles.

The versatile forward quickly became the Blues' lead attacker and scored 20 goals across all competitions.

The Portuguese winger has flourished under new head coach Enzo Maresca. In the new season, he hopes to continue his fine form, starting with a match against local rivals Fulham in a week.

Chelsea finished tenth last season, and have no European commitments this season to distract them, which gives Maresca the advantage of focusing solely on the league in the coming weeks and months.

Owen believes this could greatly benefit Maresca's team. He predicts Chelsea will finish second in the Premier League this season, behind only reigning champions Arsenal.

When asked on the podcast "The Good, The Bad & The Football" about who has the best chance of challenging Arsenal, Owen said: "Chelsea. It might not be a popular opinion, but they have absolutely no European football, and you can see how important European football has been over the years. For Manchester United, it was crucial last season."

Owen has high hopes for Chelsea under new manager Maresca (Image: The Good, The Bad & The Football)

Félix scored 20 goals for Chelsea last season (Image: Getty)

"The manager [Enzo Maresca] did something similar at a team [Leicester City] that wasn't expected to do well in the Championship, and he brings a lot of innovation. They've also made good signings."

Owen has high expectations for Chelsea's star-studded attack and believes Manchester United made a mistake by not signing Félix earlier.

The former England, Manchester United and Liverpool striker explained: "I'm a huge fan of João Félix; I think he's incredible. Actually, Manchester United should have bought him years ago when he was at Benfica."

"Manchester United hasn't had a world-class winger in many years, and I remember thinking, 'That João Félix', I just love him.

"Him, with other attacking talent forming an attack, while they sign players like Welbeck, that seems a bit odd."

Owen admits there are still some questions about goalkeeper Robert Sánchez, but he feels Chelsea could "flourish" in Maresca's first year and have a "great season".

He continued: "There's a big question mark over the goalkeeper position.

"But I feel this team can flourish. They have no European football to distract them, and they have some good players.

"I think Chelsea will have a strong season."

Earlier this month, reports from Spain suggested that Arsenal surprisingly made an offer for Félix, attempting to bring the attacker from west London to north London ahead of the new season.

The Gunners declared their willingness to pay €100 million (£86 million) for Félix, but Chelsea quickly rejected their rival's approach.

Félix, considered one of Chelsea's "untouchables", has also attracted strong interest from Barcelona in the past.

The former Benfica, Atlético Madrid and Chelsea winger has seven years remaining on his current contract with the club.

Traduzido por IA.

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