Chelsea are getting closer to reaching an agreement with Atletico Madrid for the permanent signing of Joao Felix, according to reports from Spain.
The Blues have been locked in talks with Atletico this summer over deals for Samu Omorodion and Conor Gallagher – neither of which have come to fruition.
Diego Simeone remains keen on bringing Gallagher to the Spanish capital but the midfielder has returned to England after talks failed to progress.
Gallagher now finds himself training with the Blues’ under-23 squad, along with Trevoh Chalobah, as the club tries to find a solution for him.
Chelsea and Atletico remain in dialogue over Felix though and as previously reported, Enzo Maresca’s side had an opening offer of £38m rejected for the Portuguese international.
Reports suggest that Chelsea have responded with a new bid of €46m (£39.2m) plus €5m (£4.2m in bonuses) and now they are close to a breakthrough.
Major Joao Felix update revealed
According to journalist Ruben Uria, as cited by Get Football News Spain, Chelsea’s latest bid for Felix is ‘more agreeable’ to the Atletico hierarchy.
He claims: “Atletico de Madrid and Chelsea are close to closing the sale of the Portuguese striker.”
Felix can play as a centre-forward, false nine or left-winger, so could provide cover in multiple positions for the Blues this season.
He spent the second half of the 2022/23 season on loan at Stamford Bridge, making 20 appearances in total, scoring four goals in the process.
Felix was considered one of the most promising players in Europe early in his career and will hope to reach his potential if he completes the move to the Premier League, this time permanently.
Chelsea could still make even more additions before the window slams shut, with Napoli centre-forward Victor Osimhen a key target.
They are also working on getting unwanted players out the door, with Gallagher being one example.
Chelsea have the largest squad in the Premier League by a considerable margin with 43 players and Maresca is well aware that this is unsustainable.
Trevoh Chalobah and Noni Madueke are other potential departures, while young midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu joined Southampton on loan.
A lot of movement is expected at Chelsea in the coming weeks and they will hope that they can seal a deal for Felix as soon as possible.
The Blues will face Premier League champions Manchester City on Sunday – Maresca’s first big test as manager of the club.
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