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Football London
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Luke Thrower

Joao Felix's first words on Chelsea transfer as Atletico Madrid loan move confirmed

Chelsea have confirmed the signing of striker Joao Felix on loan from Atletico Madrid until the end of the 2022/23 season.

The Portuguese international is the fourth signing of the January window for the Blues, who have already confirmed deals for Benoit Badiashile, David Datro Fofana and Andrey Santos. Felix is more likely to have an instant impact on the first-team in this transfer window than the latter two, however, having played consistently at the highest level.

The move comes as a potentially huge boost for new manager Graham Potter, who has come under some pressure from a recent dip in form. The Blues sit 10th in the Premier League and have been knocked out of both domestic cup competitions in the space of a few weeks.

READ MORE: Why Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will not complete Atletico Madrid transfer amid Chelsea exit links

However, his squad has been decimated through injuries, having as many as 10 first-team stars out at one point, tying his hands immensely. With Felix added on a loan deal, there is an immediate injection of depth and quality to call upon for Potter, who will be hoping he can help lift their form.

"Chelsea is one of the great teams in the world and I hope to help the team reach their objectives, so I am very, very happy to be here and very excited to play at Stamford Bridge," Felix told the official Chelsea website upon completing his switch to Stamford Bridge.

The 23-year-old joined Atletico Madrid from Benfica in 2019 for a huge £110million transfer fee, given his promise, and was part of the side that won La Liga just a few seasons ago. His struggles have come during a period of transition with the Rojiblancos, though his World Cup performances for Portugal did show the quality he possesses.

The Blues will be hoping to extract as much of that as possible from the forward during his time at the club to help their rise up the table.

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