Joao Felix: Chelsea sign Atletico Madrid and Portugal forward on loan | Transfer Centre News

Chelsea have completed the signing of Joao Felix on loan from Atletico Madrid.

The Blues have beaten Premier League rivals Manchester United and Arsenal to the signing of the Portugal forward, with neither side willing to pay the €11m (£9.69m) loan fee.

Atletico have said Felix has agreed to extend his deal with the Spanish club by one year.

Felix travelled to London on Tuesday to undergo a medical ahead of joining Chelsea for the rest of the season.

The 23-year-old becomes Chelsea’s fourth signing of the month following the arrivals of Benoit Badiashile, David Datro Fofana and Andrey Santos.

Felix joined Atletico from Benfica in a €126m (£111m) deal from Benfica in 2019.

The LaLiga side have been prepared to let Felix – who has five goals and three assists in all competitions this season – leave on loan in January because of his difficult relationship with manager Diego Simeone.

‘Chelsea also want right-back and midfielder’

Sky Sports chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol:

“You’ve got to factor in Felix’s wages. He earns more than £250,000 per week so Chelsea have to cover his wages as well.

“Chelsea have been criticised because they’re spending so much money in the transfer market, but they do have a strategy this month.

“Ideally, they would like a right-back as well, and a midfield player.”

‘Felix deal works for both parties’

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth:

“This deal works for both parties. Chelsea would probably look to the summer when they can reassess and see what other options are out there.

“For Atletico Madrid, they paid close to £120m for Felix. If they were to include an option price now or sell him now, they wouldn’t get anywhere near that money.

“It’s likely they won’t get anywhere near that money when they do eventually sell him, but if he goes to Chelsea and performs really well for six months, he can then go back to Atletico with three years left on his contract and maybe his value is higher.

“Arsenal wanted to sign him as well, and Manchester United were looking at him.”

‘Felix could help but next season should be the focus’

Sky Sports football journalist Joe Shread:

Owner Todd Boehly has already shown he’s more than willing to spend in a bid to improve Graham Potter’s squad, and attack is clearly an area that needs addressing.

Finding the back of the net is a serious issue, with Chelsea ranking 12th for goals scored in the Premier League, while Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz are the only players to score more than three goals in all competitions.

The need for more goalscorers in Potter’s squad is obvious, but the lack of chances being created is arguably an even bigger issue.

Chelsea rank a lowly 15th for expected goals in the Premier League and have actually outperformed their figure of 18.81, suggesting their forwards are not underperforming as dramatically as it may seem.

Felix’s move to Atletico may not have worked out the way either party hoped, but he is a player that should be able to help with Chelsea’s issues in the final third if he hits the ground running in west London.

Despite starting just seven LaLiga matches this season, he ranks in the top 12 in the Spanish top flight for both goals and assists per 90 minutes.

Felix is also a versatile forward, capable of playing as a striker, a No 10 or on the flanks – something that will appeal to Potter, given the head coach’s habit of deploying a variety of formations.

However, questions will be asked about the decision to bring in Felix without negotiating an option to buy the Portugal international as part of the loan deal.

Barring another remarkable run in the Champions League, silverware is already out of the question this season for the Blues, meaning the second half of the campaign should be about building for 2023/24.

If Felix is not going to be a part of next season, do they need him taking a place in the team of somebody who will be?

Follow the January transfer window with Sky Sports

Who will be on the move this winter? The January transfer window opens on Sunday January 1, 2023 and closes at 11pm on Tuesday January 31, 2023.

Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports’ digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.