Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix is reportedly prepared to take a pay cut to complete a return to Chelsea.
Felix previously spent the second half of the 2022-23 season on loan at Stamford Bridge, scoring four goals in 20 competitive appearances before returning to his parent club.
The 24-year-old went on to join Barcelona on a season-long loan deal, registering 10 goals and six assists in 44 matches during the 2023-24 campaign.
Barcelona initially appeared to be keen to re-sign the Portugal international, but a return to the Catalan giants now appears to be off the cards.
However, Felix could still return to one of his former clubs, with Chelsea currently in talks over a potential deal for the Atletico man.
© Reuters
Felix prepared to take Chelsea pay cut
The Blues were initially keen to sign Felix's Atletico teammate Samu Omorodion, but it emerged on Sunday night that the proposed move had fallen through.
Conor Gallagher's proposed switch to Atletico now hangs in the balance because the Spanish side seemingly need to bring in funds to facilitate the signing of the England international.
Felix could help speed up negotiations, with The Telegraph reporting that he is willing to take a significant pay cut to complete a return to Stamford Bridge.
The report claims that Chelsea could sign Felix for an initial fee under £40m despite the fact that the player is under contract until June 2029.
Felix does not have a future at the Civitas Metropolitano, and Atletico would rather offload him on a permanent transfer rather than another loan deal.
© Imago
Chelsea still looking to sign striker
Felix would provide Enzo Maresca with a versatile option in attack due to his ability to play as a second striker, a winger and a number ten.
While he can also play as a centre-forward, Chelsea would still look to sign a natural striker even if they recruit the Portuguese attacker.
The Blues are not expected to renew their pursuit of Omorodion and are now looking at alternative forward targets.
Chelsea are still believed to hold an interest in Victor Osimhen, but they will only make an effort to sign the Napoli man if he becomes available on a loan deal.
As for Omorodion, he is now being linked with a move to Bournemouth, Aston Villa and reigning Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
![Samu Omorodion in action for Alaves in February 2024 [IMAGO]](https://sm.imgix.net/11/29/1x1.gif?w=1&h=1 "Samu Omorodion in action for Alaves in February 2024 [IMAGO]")
