Chelsea have tentatively agreed on a deal to bring back Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid, with Conor Gallagher heading the other way.
The transfer fee for Felix, a 24-year-old Portugal international, hasn’t been disclosed, but he's set to return to Stamford Bridge on a six-year contract with an option for an additional year. His move is pending a medical. Felix previously spent part of 2023 on loan at Chelsea, scoring four goals in 20 matches.
As part of the swap, Gallagher is expected to sign a five-year deal with Atletico Madrid. He had been training alone at Chelsea’s Cobham facility after his move had been held up for a week.
The delay was due to Chelsea's unsuccessful attempt to sign striker Samu Omorodion, which left Atletico needing to sell a key player to fund Gallagher’s £33 million transfer.
Felix’s return to Chelsea will clear the way for Gallagher to complete his move to Atletico’s Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. Gallagher was even pictured there nine days ago, but had to fly back to London last Tuesday due to the hold-up.
With the transfer deadline approaching on August 30, Chelsea will focus on player sales but still have an interest in Napoli striker Victor Osimhen. Napoli, meanwhile, are trying to finalize a loan deal for Romelu Lukaku, who remains on Chelsea's roster but is not in their plans.
Napoli has submitted a second offer for Lukaku, including a £25.5 million obligation to buy, but Chelsea’s asking price is around £35 million, so this offer is likely to be rejected.
