BREAKING NEWS: Chelsea in a strong position to sign Atletico Madrid sensational forward on loan in January

Sports Doctor 12/26/2022 09:41:00 PM

According to The Telegraph, Chelsea are considering making a play to sign Atletico Madrid attacker Joao Felix on a loan deal until the end of the season with an option or obligation to purchase.

Felix has fallen out of favour at Atletico over the past few months. A club-record signing, the 23-year-old arrived at the Civitas Metropolitano in 2019 in a deal worth €120 million as a replacement for Antoine Griezmann.

However, he has never really managed to live up to the expectations at the club. His relationship with manager Diego Simeone is also said to have deteriorated this year, compelling the young forward to seek an exit in January.

Felix’s agent, Jorge Mendes, has been shopping his client around in the Premier League, with Manchester United and Arsenal having been mentioned as potential destinations for the Portuguese international.

However, as per the aforementioned report, Chelsea too have entered the fray to sign Felix on a loan deal in January.

The Blues’ pursuit of the 23-year-old Atletico Madrid ace could be coming from the fact that Armando Broja has been ruled out for the remainder of the season due to an injury. On top of that, summer signings Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Raheem Sterling have not delivered as expected.

Hence, Felix has appeared as an option for Chelsea. Despite him struggling for relevance in Madrid, the 23-year-old’s stock remains high among clubs in Europe, especially after a decent run in the FIFA World Cup 2022 with Portugal.

And while other clubs are interested in him, Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is prepared to move in swiftly to strike a deal with Atletico Madrid for the wantaway forward.

The Blues will consider an initial loan deal with an option or an obligation to purchase Felix depending on what terms Atleti prefer for the deal.

With Manchester United and Arsenal also gunning for his signing, it will be interesting to see where the former SL Benfica prodigy ends up next month.