Chelsea set to complete signing of Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid
Chelsea are set to complete the signing of Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid.
A deal of approximately £44.5million has been agreed between the clubs — there are no add-ons but Atletico have negotiated a sell-on clause as part of the deal.
The 24-year-old has finished a medical and personal terms are in place on a six-year contract, plus the option of an additional 12 months.
Joao Felix will fit within Chelsea’s wage structure, with performance-related bonuses.
The move would see Joao Felix return to the west London club having spent the second half of the 2022-23 season on loan at Chelsea, scoring four goals in 20 appearances.
The Athletic reported last week that the Premier League club had opened talks with their La Liga counterparts regarding a deal to sign Joao Felix following the collapse of Atletico striker Samu Omorodion’s proposed move to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea’s move for Joao Felix has paved the way for Conor Gallagher to complete his switch to Atletico. The midfielder is scheduled to fly to Madrid on Tuesday evening to complete the move.
Joao Felix spent last season on loan at Barcelona, registering 10 goals and six assists in 44 games.
Before joining Barcelona, the Portugal forward extended his Atletico contract until June 2029. He joined Atletico from Benfica in the summer of 2019 for €126m and has scored 34 goals in 131 matches for the Spanish side.
Joao Felix would become Chelsea’s ninth summer signing, following the arrivals of Tosin Adarabioyo, Omari Kellyman, Marc Guiu, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Renato Veiga, Caleb Wiley, Aaron Anselmino and Pedro Neto.
(MIGUEL RIOPA/AFP via Getty Images)
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David Ornstein joined The Athletic in October 2019 after 12 years as a sports journalist and correspondent at the BBC. In the role of Football Correspondent, he is responsible for producing exclusive and original stories and interviews, offering unique insight and analysis. He works across video, audio and the written word. Follow David on Twitter @David_Ornstein
