Joao Felix has completed a return to Chelsea rejoining the Blues on a permanent transfer in a deal which could rise in excess of £46m.The 24-year-old spent six months on-loan at Stamford Bridge in the 2022/23 season and scored four times in 20 appearances.
His return came after a long-running transfer saga which saw Chelsea negotiate a deal to send midfielder Conor Gallagher in the opposite direction with a move to Atletico Madrid.The Portugal forward has signed a seven-year contract and becomes the latest addition to Chelsea’s unbelievably huge squad.
“I’m really happy to be back at Chelsea and I can’t wait to get started,” Felix said after his signing was announced on X, formerly Twitter. “I can see some familiar faces from the last time I was here, which is always nice.
“I loved my time here before and I told my friends and family that I’d love to return to the Premier League one day. To do that with Chelsea is a great feeling and I’m excited to be back.”
Following his loan spell at Stamford Bridge, Atletico sent Felix on loan to Barcelona and the versatile forward is pleased to have a permanent home once more.
“It’s a chance for me to find a home,” he added. “After two loans, 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.
“I’ve kind of changed since I was last here. I’m more prepared for the Premier League. I feel like my best years are ahead of me. 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.”
Speaking at his press conference on Wednesday Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca explained why the club chose to sign Felix.“First of all because he’s a good player, he’s a talent,” he said. “The club already knows him from two years ago. He can play different positions with us, inside, as a nine, outside.”
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