Joao Felix is back with Chelsea, with former teammate Conor Gallagher moving the other way in a big pair of moves between the Blues and Atletico Madrid.
Chelsea purchased the 24-year-old Felix from Atletico Madrid, reuniting the Portuguese forward with the London club.
[ MORE: Chelsea open with loss to Man City ]
ANd Conor Gallagher, admired by Atleti boss Diego Simeone, is off to Spain and end a summer of tumult that previously hit a speed bump with the breakdown of Samu Omorodion’s purported move to Chelsea.
All of this comes while Raheem Sterling’s future feels a bit uncertain following his agent’s comments following his omission from Chelsea’s first 18 of the Premier League season, a team that lost 2-0 to Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.
Joao Felix to Chelsea (again): What’s his story and will it work?
Felix first joined Chelsea on loan in January of the 2022-23 Premier League season, scoring four times in 20 appearances over the Blues’ dreadful campaign.
A permanent move did not materialize, and Felix was loaned to Barcelona last season where he scored 10 times with five assists over 42 appearances.
Felix was perhaps the hottest prospect in Europe when he scored 20 goals and chipped in 11 assists as a (mostly) 19-year-old with Benfica in 2018-19.
Atletico Madrid won his signature with the fourth-most expensive transfer in club history, the nine-figure deal trailing only those of Neymar to PSG, Kylian Mbappe to PSG, and Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona.
Felix has scored 34 goals and 18 assists for Atleti in a tenure colored by clashes with Simeone’s system. Felix is a regular in the Portugal set-up but did not feature much at EURO 2024 after a very good 2022 World Cup performance.
He needs freedom as a creative player and his comparables are players like Luis Diaz and Leroy Sane. They’ll be in advanced positions: Get them the ball and let them cook. Pedro Neto on one side and Felix on the other of a Nicolas Jackson or Christopher Nkunku is intriguing for the Chelsea faithful.
Conor Gallagher to Atletico Madrid
Felix may not be a Simeone player but the fiery Gallagher neatly fits the bill for Atleti’s Argentine manager.
Gallagher, 24, is a complete midfielder who still need some polish but is an excellent passer and aggressive ball progressor.
The England international reads the game well and puts his nose into all of the places required o win football games.
Gallagher has a fellow Chelsea man in Cesar Azpilicueta on his side and another Premier League import in Julian Alvarez.
A midfield with two, three, or even four of Rodrigo De Paul, Koke, Marcos Llorente, and Gallagher will be a real headache for Barcelona and Real Madrid amongst others.
Raheem Sterling transfer news: A future at Chelsea?
Sterling — or at least his agents — was very upset at being left out of Enzo Maresca’s plans for Chelsea’s Premier League season opener.
Given that the game was Maresca’s first in charge and against Sterling’s old club, Manchester City, that’s especially understandable.
Sterling is still a shifty and explosive player, and he finished well under Mauricio Pochettino last season.
Felix joining the squad along with Neto while Mykhailo Mudryk, Cole Palmer, Christopher Nkunku, Marc Guiu, and Noni Madueke were all in the 18 versus City does not bode well for Sterling.
Might England-heavy Newcastle be a good fit for Sterling? Who can afford his wages? Could a man whose played for three of the “Big Six” really join another one like Spurs, Manchester United, or Arsenal? Surely not...