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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 sign the Portugal striker, with neither side willing to pay the €11m (£9.69m) loan fee.
Atletico say Felix has agreed to extend his deal with the Spanish club by one year.
Felix traveled to London on Tuesday to undergo a medical before 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 are ready to let Felix – who has five goals and three assists in all competitions this season – leave on loan in January due to his strained relationship with manager Diego Simeone.
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‘Chelsea also want a right-back and a midfielder’
Sky Sports chief journalist Kaveh Solhekol:
“You have to factor in Felix’s wages. He earns more than £250,000 a week so Chelsea have to cover his wages as well.
“Chelsea have been criticized for spending a lot of money in the transfer market, but they have a strategy this month.
“Ideally, they also want a right-back, and a midfielder.”
‘Felix Agreement works for both parties’
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The Good Morning Transfers team debate whether Joao Felix would be a positive addition to Chelsea’s squad if his proposed move goes through.
Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth:
“This deal works for both parties. Chelsea may look at it in the summer when they can re-evaluate and look at the other options they have.
“For Atletico Madrid, they paid almost £120m for Felix. If they include the current option price or sell him now, they will not come close to that money.
“Maybe he won’t get close to that money when he finally sells, but if he goes to Chelsea and does well for six months, he can go back to Atletico on a three-year contract and maybe he’s worth a lot more.
“Arsenal also want to sign him, and Manchester United are looking at him.”
‘Felix can help but next season should be the focus’
Felix was part of the Portugal squad at the World Cup last month
Sky Sports football reporter Joe Shread:
Owner Todd Boehly has shown he is more than willing to spend in a bid to improve Graham Potter’s squad, and attack is clearly an area that needs to be addressed.
Finding the back of the net is a serious problem, with Chelsea ranked 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 clear, but the lack of chances being created is perhaps the bigger problem.
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After some Chelsea fans voiced their frustration towards Graham Potter by singing Thomas Tuchel’s song at the Etihad, Pep Guardiola insisted that Todd Boehly must give the Chelsea head coach time.
Chelsea ranks a lowly 15th for expected goals in the Premier League and actually tops the score at 18.81, which suggests the forwards aren’t performing as well as they seem.
Felix’s move to Atletico may not have worked out the way either side would have liked, but he is a player who should be able to help Chelsea’s woes in the final third if they gain ground in west London.
Despite starting just seven LaLiga matches this season, he ranks in the top 12 in Spain’s top flight for goals and assists per 90 minutes.
Felix is also a versatile forward, able to play as a striker, number 10 or on the wing – something that will appeal to Potter, given the head coach’s habit of deploying various 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 incredible run in the Champions League, trophies are out of the question this season for the Blues, meaning the second half of the campaign should be built for 2023/24.
If Felix isn’t going to be a part of next season, should he take a spot on the team that will be?
Follow the January transfer window with Sky Sports
Who will move this season? The January transfer window is open Sunday 1 January 2023 and close it at 11 p.m at Tuesday 31 January 2023.
Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and gossip in our dedicated Transfer Center Blog at Sky Sports’ digital platform. You can also catch up with in, out and analysis Sky Sports News.
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