Chelsea have agreed a deal to send João Félix to Al Nassr which could see the Blues somehow turn a profit on the mercurial Portuguese forward, according to multiple reports.
Félix had made it abundantly clear that he sees no future for himself at Chelsea. This is a stance that has been echoed by manager Enzo Maresca, who robbed the elfin playmaker of his squad number while leaving him at home for the Club World Cup.
All the talk surrounding Félix’s impending exit had revolved around a return to his boyhood club. “Benfica is my home. One day I will return,” he declared in a less than subtle come-and-get-me plea. “I don’t know if it will be now or in a few years. If it is now, I will be happy.”
Recent reports suggested that an agreement to acquire 50% of Félix’s rights for a fee of around €25 million (£21.7 million, $29.3 million) was imminent. Yet, in a late twist, it now appears as though the 25-year-old will be on his way to Saudi Arabia.
Al Nassr have now agreed a deal with Chelsea for Félix, according to The Athletic. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Saudi giants are expected to put down an initial fee worth around £26.2 million ($35.2 million) with add-ons taking the final deal into the £43.7 million ($58.7 million) region.
Félix permanently joined the Blues from Atlético Madrid 12 months ago for £45 million ($60.5 million). Considering the £5 million ($6.7 million) Chelsea reportedly extracted from AC Milan who loaned Félix for the second half of the 2024–25 campaign, the Premier League club’s outrageously aggressive transfer model has somehow spewed out another profitable deal.
Chelsea will not waste any time congratulating themselves for this astonishing piece of transfer trickery. Sky Sports News were quick to claim that Félix’s departure will “accelerate” the arrival of Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig.
Maresca’s side are thought to be in discussion with their Bundesliga counterparts regarding a deal for Simons which could see Carney Chukwuemeka move in the opposite direction.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Joao Felix: Chelsea ‘Agree’ Surprisingly Lucrative Exit.
