OFFICIAL: Chelsea sign Atletico Madrid star Joao Felix on €60m deal

A year after leaving Stamford Bridge, Joao Felix returns to the club that was his home for half a season in 2022-23. Chelsea announced the signing of the former Atletico Madrid player on a permanent basis.

The striker has committed himself to the Blues for the next few seasons and hopes, this time, to succeed in London. Neither of the two clubs have made the transfer figures official, but in recent days the press have reported that the move has been completed for 55 million euros plus a further five million euros in add-ons.

In the last few days, Atletico registered Joao Felix in La Liga, but their objective was always the same: to be able to sell him to Chelsea and, thus, free up wage bill to be able to add to the team the desired Conor Gallagher, who has been announced by the 'Colchoneros' on Wednesday morning.

The talks between Atletico and Chelsea have taken a long time to come to fruition, as both were doomed to understand each other. The ‘Colchoneros’ did not count on the Portuguese for the 2024-25 season and the Blues had even let Gallagher know that he would have to leave if he wanted to play. 

For the time being, this move will allow Joao Felix to return to Chelsea, a club for whom he made 20 appearances two seasons ago, scoring four goals. Had it been up to the Portuguese, he would never have left Stamford Bridge, as he wanted to stay. If he left at the end of his loan spell, it was because Mauricio Pochettino refused to try to reach a new deal with Atletico to keep him.

After returning from London, Joao Felix packed his bags again to go, this time to Barcelona, where he played the 2023-24 season. In the 44 games he played, he scored 10 goals and provided 6 assists.

Now that Joao Felix has experience in the Premier League, he hopes to establish himself in Enzo Maresca's XI and surpass those first figures as a Blue. Thus ends the history of the ‘Menino de Oro’ at Atletico Madrid.

The most expensive signing in the ‘Colchoneros’ history (120 million) is past. His present and future is with Chelsea, who, with the effort they have made for him this summer, hope he will be up to the task.

 

August 21, 2024