Chelsea have reached a verbal agreement with Atletico Madrid to sign Portuguese forward Joao Felix on loan, according to industry sources 90min and CaughtOffside.
The London club had previously been in talks with Atletico, as well as Arsenal and Manchester United, over a deal for Felix, but Atletico’s financial demands had been a stumbling block. However, sources now claim that Atletico have lowered their demands to allow Chelsea to sign Felix on loan for the remainder of the season, with the Blues paying around €10m and covering the player’s wages in full. The deal does not include an option to buy, though Chelsea have not ruled out making a permanent move for Felix in the summer if he performs well.
Felix has long been on Chelsea’s radar, having made a breakthrough at Benfica before moving to Atletico in a £113m deal in 2019. In 131 appearances for the Spanish club, the 23-year-old has scored 34 goals and provided 18 assists. The loan deal comes as Chelsea look to bolster their attacking options amid injuries to key players such as Raheem Sterling, Christian Pulisic and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The club has already signed Molde’s David Datro Fofana and will bring in RB Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku in the summer, but the temporary acquisition of Felix could provide a much-needed boost in the meantime.
Joao Felix is a highly regarded young forward who has already made a name for himself in European football. At just 23 years old, he has already played for some of the biggest clubs in the continent, including Benfica and Atletico Madrid.
He first burst onto the scene at Benfica, where he quickly became one of the most promising talents in Portuguese football. In his two seasons with the club, he scored 29 goals and provided 20 assists in just 71 appearances. His performances earned him a big-money move to Atletico Madrid in 2019, where he has continued to impress. In 131 appearances for the Spanish club, Felix has scored 34 goals and provided 18 assists.
Despite his relative youth, Felix has already achieved a lot in his career. He has won the Primeira Liga and the Portuguese Cup with Benfica, and has helped Atletico Madrid to win the Supercopa de Espana. He has also earned 19 caps for the Portuguese national team, scoring two goals.
It’s no surprise, then, that Chelsea are keen to bring Felix to Stamford Bridge on loan. The London club is in desperate need of attacking reinforcements, with injuries to key players such as Raheem Sterling, Christian Pulisic and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leaving them short of options up front. While the deal with Atletico does not include an option to buy, it’s possible that Chelsea could make a permanent move for Felix in the summer if he performs well during his loan spell.
