PA Media/DPA
London
Chelsea have signed Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid on a seven-year contract, 15 months after he last played for the club on loan.
The 24-year-old Portugal forward joins for a reported £36 million ($40 million) in a deal that helped facilitate Conor Gallagher’s move in the opposite direction, which was also confirmed on Wednesday.
Felix made 20 appearances in all competitions during a six-month spell with the London outfit in the second half of the 2022-23 season, scoring four times in what was generally considered to be an underwhelming spell for both the player and the club.
He spent last term on loan at Barcelona, scoring 10 times in 44 games for the Catalan side.
Felix told Chelsea’s website: "It’s a chance for me to find a home.
"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.”
He 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. I try to figure it out by watching some videos of me of my games.
"I’ve kind of changed since I was last here. I’m 24 now. I’ll be 25 in November. I feel like I grew up as a player. That’s normal with age. I’m more prepared for the Premier League.
"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.”
Chelsea had looked set to sign Atletico striker Samu Omorodion until contract negotiations stalled and the move fell through earlier this month.
That had the knock-on effect of derailing Gallagher’s move to the Spanish capital, but after a deal was struck for Felix to return to Stamford Bridge, the Blues academy graduate was able to end his limbo and depart having fallen out of favour at the club.