Chelsea is confronted with the familiar problem of trying to sell their unwanted players in the summer transfer window, with one player who causes a certain headache
Chelsea knows that they have to take a huge hit when they sell Joao Felix this summer, where the club pays the prize for earlier errors. Felix was signed for £ 45 million as part of the move in which Conor Gallagher went the other way to Atletico Madrid, but they are now trying to stroll him for what they can get.
The Portuguese attacker was never searched by Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca and is a good example of the Spreadspistolool approach of the club for recruitment. Felix was only signed as a makeewight in the Gallagher deal, which had to endure the blues to meet the profit and sustainability rules.
After all, Felix had scored only four goals in 20 performances during a loan spell in West London in 2023. Nevertheless, they gave him a seven-year contract on the Deadline Day last summer, after he had signed Athleti striker Samu Omorodion instead.
The result was predictable shabolic. Felix was unable to impress Maresca and was lent to AC Milan for the second half of last season, where he led only three goals in 21 performances.
He was omitted from the 28-man team of Chelsea for the Club World Cup in the US and then lost his number 14-squadron number to the new signing Dario Essugo. Now the Sun reports that his move back to Benfica – the club that sold him to Athleti for £ 113 million six years ago – got stuck.
Although Benfica wants to sign their talent again, they are not willing to pay the £ 35 million Chelsea. They have already seen an offer of £ 17.3 million plus a 50 percent sale by Chelsea, but are not worried.
With reported interest from Saudi Arabia that still has to stand up, Benfica believes that they are the only option for Chelsea. And they like to play the waiting game, knowing that they keep all the cards in this negotiation.
Bruno Lage wants a reunion with Felix, with whom he won the competition in 2018/19, but the club feels that there is no hurry. In the meantime, Chelsea is under increasing pressure to shift their margin players.
Last month we reported that no fewer than 10 players could continue through the blues this summer. Since then they have negotiated the outputs of Noni Madueke, in a £ 52 million deal for Arsenal and Djordje Petrovic, to Bournemouth for £ 25 million, but others, like Felix, will be more difficult.
Maresca's own words may not help. In February he admitted that Chelsea did not miss him – although he at least confirmed Felix's professionalism. “Nothing has happened,” said the Chelsea boss. “As I said before, the players train every day and have the ambition to play every game, but unfortunately they can only play 11.
“We all decided, together, that the best option was for him to leave. Has he ever complained about the lack of use? No, he never complained. He was always very professional with us.
“It was just my decision. I said it several times, we have to have a defensive balance and if you have so many attacking players, you can sometimes admit transitions or goals to the opponents and I don't like that.”