Chelsea have confirmed the loan signing of Portuguese midfielder Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid, OduNews reports.
At one point, Manchester United and Arsenal were said to be leading the race to sign Joaoa Felix, as they also sought to add to their attacking options. However, Chelsea stepped in and secured a loan deal for the player, reportedly worth £10 million ($12m).
The agreement with Atletico Madrid does not include a purchase option, and the 23-year-old will return to the Wanda Metropolitano at the end of the season.
The La Liga giants invested a significant sum of €126m (£111m/$135m) in Felix when they brought him in from Benfica in 2019, and they have made it clear that they don’t intend to part ways permanently with him and so recently signed a new contract with him before sanctioning his loan move.
Chelsea will be hoping that Felix can quickly adapt to his new surroundings and make an impact on the team.
The Blues are in need of more firepower in their attacking line as they have seen the likes of Kai Havertz and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struggle to make significant contributions so far this season.
Joao Felix has expressed his excitement and happiness over his loan move to Chelsea. He said “I am thrilled to be joining one of the most renowned clubs in the world. Chelsea is an accomplished team with great objectives and I am eager to be a part of it. I am looking forward to playing at Stamford Bridge and doing my best to contribute to the team’s success.”
