By Samuel A. August 21, 2024
Chelsea Football Club have completed the signing of Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid in a deal worth £46.3m, with Conor Gallagher moving in the opposite direction for £36m. The Blues paid a £42m fixed fee for Felix, plus £4.3m in addons, while the Portugal international has signed a six year contract at Stamford Bridge, with option to extend for one more year.
The 24 year old returns to Chelsea on a permanent deal after spending six months on loan in the second half of the 2022/23 season, scoring four goals in 16 Premier League appearances, before spending last season on loan at Barcelona where he scored 10 goals in 44 appearances. “I’m really happy to be back at Chelsea and I can’t wait to get started. I can see some familiar faces from the last time I was here, which is always nice. I loved my time here before and I told my friends and family that I’d love to return to the Premier League one day. To do that with Chelsea is a great feeling and I’m excited to be back.” Felix said:
Speaking in a press conference, Maresca added: “He’s a good player and the club already knows him from two years ago. The good thing about Joao is he can play different positions with us – inside, as a No 9 and outside.”
Joao Felix becomes Chelsea’s 10th summer signing, following the arrivals of Tosin Adarabioyo, Omari Kellyman, Marc Guiu, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Renato Veiga, Caleb Wiley, Aaron Anselmino, Filip Jorgensen and Pedro Neto. Felix’s arrival also takes Chelsea’s spending to £202.6m making them the Premier League’s top spenders this summer, overtaking Aston Villa. Their spending, however, might still continue, as it is understood they will try to sign a new striker during this window, even after the completion of the Felix deal.
Napoli’s Victor Osimhen has been a target all summer, but at the moment Chelsea would not sign him on a permanent deal.
