Chelsea have completed the signing of Atletico Madrid attacking midfielder Joao Felix.
Felix, 24, spent the second half of the 2022/23 season on loan with the Blues 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 was with Barcelona on a season-long loan last term 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.
‘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.
‘I feel like my best years are ahead of me. I have no doubt about that. The best years are still to come. And this year is going to be a good year, because now I am permanently at home, and I can enjoy home.’
