Transfer News: Chelsea keeping tabs on Atletico Madrid and Portugal striker Joao Felix
Chelsea are keeping tabs on Atletico Madrid and Portugal international striker Joao Felix ahead of the January transfer window, according to Spanish outlet Marca (h/t Football. London).
Felix, who moved to Atletico in the summer of 2019 from SL Benfica for a whooping £113 million fee has informed his agent Jorge Mendes that he would like to leave the club in January.
As such, multiple clubs have entered the fray to secure his signature. Apart from the Blues, the likes of Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain are all believed to be interested in the 23-year-old.
One could say that the Portuguese never really got going at the Madrid-based club. Diego Simeone’s philosophy of sitting back and catching his opponents on the counter-attack has proven successful for him but not for the striker.
The 23-year-old has played 129 games for the Colchoneros in all competitions so far, scoring only 33 goals in the process. A more attacking team would definitely help in bringing out his potential more.
Chelsea can offer that to the youngster. For a long time, our strikers have struggled in front of goal, costing us some precious points. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who is 33, is our main striker for this season. A young and talented player is needed up front, and Felix fits that bill.
Apart from playing up front, the Portuguese can also operate on the wings giving Graham Potter extra options while deploying him. The forward is currently in Qatar where he scored for Portugal in their thrilling 3-2 victory over Ghana earlier this week.
Felix still has four more years on his current contract. Considering the fee Atletico paid, they will want to come back should they allow him to leave. Negotiations are likely to be tough, but if the Blues can get through they could add a very talented player to their squad.
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Timo Werner, Romelu Lukaku, Aubameyang – we have signed big names in the last three summer transfer windows. It’s time to take a step back, assess the options, and sign a player we trust to give 3-4 years in our team. Felix seems like a good, raw forward to put our bets on.