Chelsea have reportedly made the breakthrough with Atletico Madrid regarding a deal for Joao Felix.
Earlier this month, the Blues appeared to be uninterested in a reunion with a player who scored just four goals during a 20-game loan stint in 2022-23.
However, after a deal for fellow Atletico player Samu Omorodion broke down, Felix emerged as the most likely alternative player to leave Madrid for London.
Negotiating such a transfer is deemed imperative for Conor Gallagher to move to Civitas Metropolitano in a separate deal, with both clubs eager to bolster their position with the relevant financial regulations.
Last week, it was suggested that Atletico had set a deadline of Wednesday for a transfer to be completed courtesy of their plans to hold a presentation of their new signings, the hope being that Gallagher could participate.
According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, that could come to fruition with Chelsea having made a concrete move for Felix.
© Reuters
Chelsea reach agreement with Atletico
The report says an agreement has been reached between the respective clubs for the transfer of the Portugal international.
Felix will allegedly pen a contract until 2030, with Chelsea possessing the option to extend those terms by a further 12 months.
As it stands, there has been no confirmation of a fee, but it will be more than the £33m that Atletico are in line to pay for Gallagher.
Chelsea may be in a position where they can register Felix for their Europa Conference League playoff tie with Servette, but a debut would be more realistic for Sunday's Premier League game at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
© Imago
What are Chelsea getting in Felix?
Despite Felix previously possessing the tag as one of the most high-profile forwards in world football, Chelsea should not necessarily expect a hatful of goals.
He has not reached double figures (15) since representing Benfica in 2018-19, while he has never netted more than eight times in La Liga for Atletico or Barcelona.
On a positive note, he will bring more versatility to the Chelsea attack and he is familiar with the West Londoners after his previous time at the club.
Of his four strikes, the most notable came against Manchester United on the final week of the season, advancing from the halfway line at Old Trafford before lashing a long-range effort into the bottom corner.
Darren Plant
