Chelsea manager Graham Potter has heaped praise on his new signing Joao Felix, hailing him as a 'quality player', stating his arrival could catalyse the Blues' resurgence, as they look to recover from an underwhelming start to the season.
The Portuguese international joined the club on a season-long loan on Wednesday morning, after reaching an agreement which saw the west London side pay an £11M loan fee to Athletico Madrid, covering 100% of his wages.
Chelsea accelerated their plans to sign the forward, fending off competition from Arsenal and Manchester United, in a bid to add more firepower to their depleted attack and close the 10-point gap to the top four.
Potter said: "He's a quality player, can make a difference in the final third of the pitch, young but has obviously had a lot of really good experience. He's a quality player that gives everyone a lift.
"We've been aware of it for a while. These things don't happen quickly. Obviously, the injuries may have sharpened the focus a little bit but it's nice to get him in and training today. That is positive for us. We'll see for the game tomorrow."
He later added: "He's been training regularly and had game time, so from a physical perspective he can go in [the team].
"It's always a bit of an unknown going from one country to another and there is always an adaptation period, but how long that takes goes from player to player.
"I see a confident person, a confident player, a player that can impose himself on the game. His personality and attributes are that he can take the ball in tight spaces, make the difference in the final third, and play passes. I think he compliments what we have as well so I'm looking forward to working with him."
Despite the arrival of Felix, Potter admitted his signing alone will not fix all of Chelsea's woes.
The Blues have plummeted down the league after a string of lacklustre performances, sitting three points adrift of Fulham in seventh.
"My thoughts are that you have to fix the team. It's not just one person to solve the problems. You have to fix the team, attack better, create chances, and then whoever is playing then can score and the team can win. That is the focus. Clearly though, Joao is a top player, a talented player, and he can help the team", the manager said.
The Chelsea boss hinted their transfer business may not be over for January and new arrivals could be on the way.
In addition to Felix, the Blues have already completed the signings of Andrey Santos, David Datro Fofana, and Benoit Badiashile this month, and their shopping spree is showing no signs of slowing down.
Potter revealed he is still looking to strengthen, but the market is complicated and it needs to be the 'right player'.
He said: "There is time [to make more signings], whether we'll find the right player or not is another thing. As I've said before, you have to look in this window to make the right decisions but it isn't straightforward. It's complicated. We're happy with what we've done so far but we'll keep going to try and help the team."
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On injuries
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will return to the squad for the London derby, but Christian Pulisic is braced for a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Potter delivered more optimistic news on Reece James, Ben Chillwell, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, however a return to the squad is not imminent.
Potter said: "Pierre is fine and he'll be in the squad for the game. Christian is a couple of months we think, hopefully less, but that's the timeframe. Raheem less but we're still evaluating the extent of it. Hopefully less than that, though.
"Ruben [Loftus-Cheek] is getting closer, Ben [Chillwell] is getting closer. Reece [James] was out on the grass today, not training with the team but on his own. N'Golo did his first couple of days out training on his own but there is still a long, long way to go. But it felt more positive. To see the guys out there, it gives everyone a lift."
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On criticism
Chelsea have only recorded one win in their last eight league games, firing blanks against Manchester City, Newcastle, Arsenal, and Brentford.
Supporters chanted in support of former manager Thomas Tuchel during their 4-0 drubbing against Man City in the FA Cup.
According to reports, there are no plans to cut ties with the former Brighton manager just yet. For now, Todd Boehly is convinced he has the right man for the job.
Potter was eager to draw attention to the challenges faced by other managers during the beginning of their reigns:
"You have to understand that it's part of the job. I think you only have to look at some of my colleagues in a similar position, Pep [Guardiola] for example in his first season was criticised quite heavily.
Mikel [Arteta] has had to endure a period of criticism. Jurgen Klopp would've got some criticism as well and these guys are fantastic. Football is emotional and when you lose, you don't think about it, you feel it. You feel the pain, the suffering, the discomfort.
"Sometimes it is hard to understand the why and it's easier to blame somebody. I'm not sitting here saying I've been absolutely perfect, so they're not completely wrong. But it's always very complex. You just try to put it into perspective and remember you're capable and how you got here.
"Two months ago, I was considered to be a top coach and if you consider the people I've played against and with, they'd say the same. But at the same time, I acknowledge the results haven't been good enough and then you have to accept and deal with that as best as you can, put it in perspective, and try to move forward.
"I've been in regular dialogue with the owners and they've been really supportive, fantastic. We speak on a regular basis, two or three times a week, and they've been really supportive."
