Will be 10th summer signing 

©IMAGO

Much of the aftermath of Chelsea’s 2-0 loss to Manchester City in their opening Premier League game at Stamford Bridge at the weekend was focused on the players who were left out. Raheem Sterling’s camp released a statement issuing their disappointment with the 29-year-old winger being left out of the squad, whilst, in total, the Blues left over €600 million’s worth of talent out of the starting XI. Chelsea have a current squad size of 42 players. Most people would feel the club should be focusing on a clear-out before the August 30 deadline, and certainly shouldn’t be targeting new arrivals. But those people should remember that this is Chelsea under Todd Boehly.

This Monday it was revealed that Chelsea had agreed a permanent deal with La Liga side Atlético Madrid to sign forward João Félix, which would allow midfielder Conor Gallagher’s transfer the other way to the Spanish club to go through. Felix, who boasts a current market vale of €30m, is expected to sign a six-year contract with Chelsea that includes the option for a further year. The deal is expected to cost Chelsea in the region of €50m. The funds Atlético receive for the Portuguese attacker would allow them to complete the deal for Gallagher. The Englishmen’s €42m move to the Spanish capital looked to have fallen through after the collapse of Chelsea’s move for Atlético striker Samu Omorodion.

But the Spanish club remained determined to sign the 24-year-old England midfielder, having been impressed by him during his recent five-day stay in Madrid and how he handled the situation, which only reinforced their desire to have him in their squad. Gallagher passed a medical with Atletico while in Madrid and had been pictured in the Wanda Metropolitano by the club, and around the capital by sections of the Spanish media.

Portugal international forward Felix spent last season on loan at Atleti’s LaLiga rivals Barcelona where he scored 10 goals in 44 appearances. He spent six months on loan at Chelsea during the second half of the 2022/23 season, scoring four goals in 16 Premier League appearances, failing to set the world alight in West London. He was actually sent off on his debut for the Blues. Felix became the fifth-most expensive player in history when Atlético paid Benfica €127.2m for his services in 2019.