- Chelsea completed a deal on Monday to bring Joao Felix to the club for £42.7million
- Felix, 24, becomes Chelsea’s ninth signing under new head coach Enzo Maresca
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Chelsea have confirmed that Joao Felix will return to the club permanently from Atletico Madrid for a transfer fee of £42.7million.
The Portuguese forward is the ninth signing of the Enzo Maresca era and has signed a six-year contract with an option for a further 12 months.
Felix arrives in West London for the second time in his career, following a six-month loan at Stamford Bridge during the 2022-23 season.
The 24-year-old spent last season on loan at Barcelona, where he scored ten goals and provided six assists in Catalonia.
His arrival at Cobham follows the departure of Conor Gallagher, who moved the other way for £34million.
Chelsea have confirmed the arrival of striker Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid for £42.7million
Felix spent six months on loan with the Blues during the 2022-23 season, scoring four times
Felix told Chelsea’s website: ‘I’m really happy to be back at Chelsea and I can’t wait to get started.
‘I see some familiar faces here from the last time I was here, which is always nice.’
Felix said he enjoyed his short stay in London and is happy to be back.
“I’ve loved my time here before and I’ve told my friends and family that I’d love to come back to the Premier League one day,” Felix added. “To do that with Chelsea is a great feeling and I’m happy to be back.”
Felix made 20 appearances in all competitions in his last spell at Stamford Bridge, scoring four goals.
The striker began his football career in his homeland with Benfica, before joining the Spanish capital in 2019 for £114million.
Felix is a versatile player and scored 31 goals in 131 games during his five-year spell with the Spanish giants.
Chelsea finalised terms with Felix on Monday, paving the way for Gallagher’s departure before he was confirmed as a Blue.
Felix’s move cleared the way for Conor Gallagher to head the other way for £34m
The club posted a video of Felix in a Chelsea kit on the training pitch, captioned ‘home’.
He follows eight others through the door at Stamford Bridge, including stars such as Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Pedro Neto.
