LAST UPDATE | 21 Aug
CHELSEA HAVE SIGNED Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid on a seven-year contract, 15 months after he last played for the club on loan.
The 24-year-old Portugal forward joins for a reported £36million [€42.21] in a deal that helped facilitate Conor Gallagher’s move in the opposite direction, which was also confirmed on Wednesday.
Felix made 20 appearances in all competitions during a six-month spell with the London outfit in the second half of the 2022-23 season, scoring four times in what was generally considered to be an underwhelming spell for both the player and the club.
He spent last term on loan at Barcelona, scoring 10 times in 44 games for the Catalan side.
Chelsea had looked set to sign Atletico striker Samu Omorodion until contract negotiations stalled and the move fell through earlier this month.
That had the knock-on effect of derailing Gallagher’s move to the Spanish capital, but after a deal was struck for Felix to return to Stamford Bridge, the Blues academy graduate was able to end his limbo and depart having fallen out of favour at the club.
He has signed a five-year contract after the clubs agreed a reported £33.7million [€39.52m] fee.
Gallagher had been a regular in the Chelsea side over the past two seasons after loan spells at Charlton, Swansea, West Brom and Crystal Palace earlier in his career.
The 24-year-old made 95 appearances for the Blues, scoring 10 goals, and also captained the side on a number of occasions last season.
He was also part of the England squad which reached the final of Euro 2024 this summer.
Gallagher posted on Instagram: “To everyone at Chelsea, thank you for making my dreams come true. It’s been an absolute honour every time I put on the shirt, and it was a dream come true to captain the team on many occasions.
“I loved every moment. These memories will last forever. I appreciate all the love and support from the fans. Hearing the chant of my name at the Bridge is a special feeling, and the banner you displayed meant the world to me.
“Thank you for everything. I wish the club all the best for the future, and I hope to see you all soon at Stamford Bridge.”
Meanwhile, it’s understood Raheem Sterling has no expectation of featuring for Chelsea this season after being told by Enzo Maresca that he is not in his plans.
Sterling has been excluded from the squad to face Swiss side Servette in the Europa Conference League on Thursday, having also been left out of the group that lost 2-0 to Manchester City in Sunday’s Premier League opener.
A statement was released by his representatives ahead of kick-off at Stamford Bridge calling for “clarity” on the England international’s future.
However, PA understands that his exclusion came as no surprise to Sterling after he was told by Maresca following the conclusion of Friday’s training session that he is not in his plans and that he should assess his options.
The 29-year-old was one of the first major signings of the Clearlake Capital era at Chelsea when he joined from City for £50million [€58.63m] in July 2022, penning a contract that still has three years to run.
Maresca has a plethora of options to play in Sterling’s position, with new signing Pedro Neto the latest arrival to provide competition in that area.
It is also understood that Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix, who played for the club on loan in 2023, has also agreed a Stamford Bridge return, further limiting Sterling’s chances.
Sterling has played 81 times across two seasons for Chelsea scoring 19 goals, but he has failed to constantly live up to the expectations set by his success at City, where he was a four-time Premier League winner.
He has also struggled to win over supporters, and has frequently been the target of dissatisfaction during the team’s troubles in recent years.
He was loudly booed by home fans during a haphazard display in last season’s FA Cup quarter-final win over Leicester, when he missed a penalty and a plethora of other chances.
