Ongoing Transfer Talks Between Chelsea and Atletico Madrid for Joao Felix

Negotiations are continuing between Chelsea and Atletico Madrid as they seek to finalize a transfer deal involving Conor Gallagher and Joao Felix. Atletico Madrid is currently unable to meet the agreed £34 million fee for Gallagher without first selling a player. Initially, striker Samu Omorodion was expected to be the player sold to facilitate the transfer, but that deal fell through at the last moment. Consequently, Chelsea has shifted its focus to Felix, who is valued at approximately €50 million (£43 million) in Spain. Despite the ongoing discussions, Felix has been training regularly with Atletico Madrid and has impressed manager Diego Simeone. Simeone indicated that Felix could potentially feature in their upcoming La Liga opener against Villarreal, stating, "Joao Felix is doing very well." However, he also acknowledged that the squad is not yet finalized, hinting at the possibility of further changes before the transfer window closes. If Chelsea successfully secures Felix, it may lead to the departures of current players Raheem Sterling and Noni Madueke before the August 30 transfer deadline. Simeone emphasized the importance of focusing on their own squad, stating, "The only thing I can say is they are not our players, so it's not correct to talk about a Napoli player or Atletico Madrid player." Felix, who spent the latter half of the 2022/23 season on loan at Chelsea, scored four goals in 20 appearances. His initial £113 million transfer from Benfica in 2019 has not yielded the expected results for Atletico Madrid.