Chelsea
have agreed a permanent deal worth up to £46.3m with Atletico Madrid to sign
Joao Felix, which means Conor Gallagher's transfer to the Spanish club is
back on.
Felix is understood to be joining Chelsea for a £42m fixed fee, plus £4.3m
in add-ons, which could make the transfer eventually worth in excess of
£46m.
The 24-year-old forward is scheduled to undergo a Chelsea medical on Tuesday
and is expected to sign a six-year contract that includes the option for a
further year.
The Portugal international was not named in the starting XI or on the bench
for Atletico Madrid's LaLiga away game against Villarreal on Monday night
after originally being included in the travelling squad.
The funds Atletico receive for Felix from the Blues will allow them to
complete a deal for Gallagher.
Gallagher's £36m move to Atletico looked to have fallen through following
the collapse of Chelsea's move for Atletico 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 is now in discussions over travel plans to Madrid, but there is no
rush considering what happened last time.
He passed a medical and agreed a five-year deal to join Atletico while in
Madrid, and had been pictured in the Wanda Metropolitano by the club, before
having to return.
Felix spent last season on loan at Atleti's LaLiga rivals Barcelona where he
scored 10 goals in 44 appearances.
He also had six months on loan at Chelsea during the second half of the
2022/23 season, scoring four goals in 16 Premier League appearances.
Felix became the fifth-most expensive player in history when Atletico Madrid
paid Benfica £113m for his services in 2019.
When does the summer transfer window
close?
The 2024 summer transfer window officially closes on August 30 at 11pm UK
time in the Premier League and 11.30pm in Scotland.
The Premier League has brought forward Deadline Day to link up with the
other major leagues in Europe. The closing dates were set following
discussions with the leagues in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.
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