Chelsea will look to strike a deal for Joao Felix in the region of £40million, in a move that would allow Conor Gallagher to complete his switch to Atletico Madrid.
Gallagher’s move from Chelsea to Atletico is hanging in the balance after a deal for Samu Omorodion to move in the opposite direction collapsed over the weekend.
Gallagher has been in Spain since last week after agreeing a £33.7m deal to leave Chelsea. But Chelsea will want him to return to England if Atletico do not seal the signing.
The move hinges on Atletico raising funds by selling either Omorodion or Felix after they splashed out £81m to sign Julian Alvarez from Manchester City on Monday.
After the Omorodion deal collapsed, Chelsea and Atletico quickly changed tack to discuss a potential deal for Felix.
The 24-year-old Portugal forward scored four goals in 20 appearances during a loan spell at Chelsea in the second half of the 2022/23 season.
Former Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino did not see Felix as a long-term option so the Blues did not move to keep him last summer.
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But Chelsea have now been offered the chance to re-sign Felix, who spent last season on loan at Barcelona and scored 10 times in 44 appearances. He can play as a second striker, on the left wing and as a No10.
Chelsea’s owners still hold Felix in high esteem following his loan stint at Stamford Bridge, and have therefore been quickly open to a deal in light of the Omorodion transfer falling through. Talks with Atletico are expected to continue this week.
Chelsea are still looking at striker options and remain interested in Victor Osimhen if the Napoli frontman becomes available on loan in the final weeks of the window. A deal for Felix will not impact their desire to bring in a new striker.
Gallagher is still poised to sign with Atletico, so long as the LaLiga club are able to make the sale.
While Gallagher has been keen to stay at Chelsea and fight for a long-term future at his boyhood club, the 24-year-old is thought to appreciate the reality of his Stamford Bridge situation.
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Gallagher is understood to be confident that he would fit perfectly into Diego Simeone’s system at Atletico, where his bullish work rate and attitude would be sure to find favour.
Should Chelsea sign Felix, it would raise doubts over the future of Raheem Sterling. Juventus have been linked with a move for Sterling but his wages in excess of £300,000-a-week could prove a stumbling block to a potential deal.
Chelsea may also be forced to listen to offers for Noni Madueke if Felix joins and Sterling does not leave.
