Chelsea has finalized the signing of Portugal forward Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid for a transfer fee of approximately £45 million. Simultaneously, England midfielder Conor Gallagher has been transferred to Atletico Madrid for around £33 million.
Felix, 24, has agreed to a seven-year contract, marking his return to Stamford Bridge for a second stint. During a loan spell with Chelsea in 2023, Felix scored four goals in 20 appearances.
“I’m really happy to be back at Chelsea and I can’t wait to get started,” Felix stated. “I can see some familiar faces from the last time I was here, which is always nice.”
On the other hand, Gallagher has signed a five-year contract with the Spanish club. He joined Chelsea at the age of six, making 90 appearances and scoring 10 goals during his time with the club. As Gallagher’s contract was set to expire next summer, Chelsea opted to sell him now to avoid losing him on a free transfer.
“To everyone at Chelsea, thank you for making my dreams come true,” Gallagher expressed on Instagram. “It’s been an absolute honour every time I put on the shirt, and it was a dream come true to captain the team on many occasions. I loved every moment. These memories will last forever. I appreciate all the love and support from the fans.”
The transfer of Gallagher was delayed due to the collapse of Chelsea’s talks to sign Atletico striker Samu Omorodion. However, the Felix deal has now provided Atletico with the necessary funds to complete Gallagher’s transfer. Earlier this month, Gallagher spent five days in a Madrid hotel awaiting the deal, only to return to London when negotiations stalled.
Gallagher previously had loan spells at Charlton, Swansea, West Brom, and Crystal Palace before securing a spot in Chelsea’s first team at the start of the 2022-23 season. He has earned 18 caps for England since his debut in 2021 and was included in the national team squads for the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024.
