Chelsea have completed the loan signing of Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid, with the Portuguese set to see out the season at Stamford Bridge.
WHAT HAPPENED? Manchester United and Arsenal were reported to be leading the chase for Felix’s signature at one stage, as they also seek to add attacking reinforcements to their respective ranks, but a deal worth a reported £10 million ($12m) has been put in place by Premier League heavyweights from west London.
WHAT THEY SAID: Felix has told Chelsea's official website of his delight over the switch:
"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."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Chelsea’s agreement with Atletico does not include a purchase option, meaning that Felix will be heading back to Wanda Metropolitano in the summer.
La Liga giants remain reluctant to part with the 23-year-old on a permanent basis after investing €126m (£111m/$135m) in him when luring obvious potential away from Benfica in 2019, and they put a new contract in place before sanctioning a short-term switch to England.
Atletico have released an official statement confirming that Felix is now tied to the club through to 2027.
The artist has arrived. ????
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 11, 2023
Welcome to Chelsea, Joao Felix!#HolaFelix pic.twitter.com/hVS7UuG6gT
WHAT NEXT? Chelsea will be hoping that Felix, who has 28 international caps to his name, can hit the ground running in new surroundings as – after sending Romelu Lukaku back on loan to Inter last summer – they have seen the likes of Kai Havertz and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struggle to deliver an attacking spark in 2022-23.
