Chelsea have completed the signing of Atletico Madrid attacking midfielder Joao Felix.
Felix, 24, spent six months on loan with the Blues in the 2022/23 season and returns to Stamford Bridge on a permanent basis for a fee in the region of £44.5million.
The Portugal international underwent a medical with Chelsea on Tuesday and has put pen to paper on a seven-year contract in west London, tying him to the club until 2031.
Felix spent last term on loan at Barcelona and racked up ten goals and four assists in all competitions for the Catalan giants. His arrival at Chelsea paved the way for Conor Gallagher to head in the opposite direction.
The former Golden Boy-award winner becomes Chelsea tenth addition of the summer following deals for Pedro Neto, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Filip Jorgensen, Omari Kellyman, Aaron Anselmino, Renato Veiga, Caleb Wiley, Marc Guiu and Tosin Adarabioyo.
‘It’s a chance for me to find a home,’ Joao told Chelsea’s official website.
‘After two loans, Chelsea and Barca, I needed to stay permanently in one place. There is no better place for me to be than Chelsea. I see a perfect place to shine.
‘It was a little bit of a lot of things that made me want to come back: the project, the club, the league, the fans, the time I spent here that I loved. I felt really good when I was here, despite the results we had. I’m really happy to be back.’
Felix added: ‘I’ve developed as a player in a lot of ways: the perception of the game, and the spaces the ball can arrive easily where I can make more impact,’ he explains. ‘I try to figure it out by watching some videos of me of my games.
