Chelsea and Atletico Madrid have initiated talks about a potential return of Joao Felix to Stamford Bridge after the transfer of Samu Omorodion hit a significant snag on Sunday night.
Omorodion had been on the verge of finalizing a £34.5 million move to Chelsea, signing a seven-year contract with an option for an additional year. However, negotiations have encountered obstacles, and despite efforts from both sides, the deal now appears to be collapsing.
Atletico Madrid, needing to offload players to balance their books following deals for Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher and Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez, have turned their attention back to Joao Felix. The Portuguese forward, who was previously on loan at Chelsea, had also attracted interest from Aston Villa.
Felix, who scored four goals in 20 appearances during his loan spell at Chelsea, spent the last season on loan at Barcelona, where he netted ten times in 44 matches. Despite Barcelona’s interest in a permanent deal, their financial difficulties prevented them from making an acceptable offer.
Joao Felix, who became the fourth-most expensive player in history when Atletico purchased him from Benfica for £114 million in 2019, has featured in pre-season for Diego Simeone’s side. However, his future with the club remains uncertain.
Last week, it was revealed by Mail Sport that Atletico had offered Felix to Manchester City as part of a deal for Julian Alvarez. The two clubs eventually agreed on an initial €75 million (£64 million) deal for the Argentine striker, which will see him leave City after just two-and-a-half years.
