Chelsea are reportedly weighing up a move for Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix in the latter stages of the summer transfer window.
The Portugal international spent the second half of the 2023-24 campaign on loan at Stamford Bridge, scoring four goals in 20 appearances for the Blues in all competitions.
Chelsea turned down the chance to sign him on a permanent basis earlier this summer, but according to 90min, the capital outfit are considering making a move before Friday's deadline.
The report claims that a number of Chelsea officials are keen on Felix, but it will be up to head coach Mauricio Pochettino to decide whether the club will make an official approach.
Despite their immense spending this summer, Chelsea remain keen to bring in a new attacker before the market closes, with the team short of genuine options in the centre-forward role.
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A permanent move is unlikely due to the numbers that would be involved, but the Premier League outfit are said to be open to another loan switch.
Felix told Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano earlier this summer that he is determined to join Barcelona, and the Catalan outfit are also firmly in the hunt for his signature.
However, Xavi's side are currently focusing on securing a deal for Manchester City's Joao Cancelo, and a move for Felix would be complicated due to the club's financial problems.
There is expected to be a lot of movement at Camp Nou before the end of the transfer window, though, which could open up space for Felix to make an initial loan switch to the club.
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Felix, who is also being heavily linked with a switch to Saudi Arabia, is yet to feature for Atletico this season amid the uncertainty surrounding his future.
The 23-year-old made a big-money move to the Red and Whites from Benfica in 2019, and he has represented the club on 131 occasions, scoring 34 goals and registering 18 assists in the process.
Felix signed a new contract at Wanda Metropolitano before his loan departure in January, with his current terms running until June 2027, placing Atletico in a strong negotiating position.
The forward's relationship with Atletico head coach Diego Simeone is believed to have broken down towards the end of last year, which led to him departing on loan in the middle of the 2022-23 campaign.
The capital outfit's president Enrique Cerezo recently said that Felix no longer wants to represent the club.
Matt Law
