Chelsea are getting closer to completing the signing of Joao Felix on a loan deal until the end of the season from Atletico Madrid, sources have told football.london.
News broke on Monday afternoon that the Blues have been in advanced negotiations with Atletico over a temporary move for the 23-year-old. Sources have confirmed that Felix is closing in on a loan move to Stamford Bridge as he looks to force his way out of the Spanish capital.
There are countless issues on the pitch at the moment for Chelsea. Their defending has been poor and the midfield has been practically non-existent in the last nine games, where the Blues have been beaten on six occasions. Their attacking play has also been slow and too predictable, which are just two of the reasons they've scored only five goals in their last nine matches.
READ MORE: Chelsea closing in on Joao Felix transfer amid £9.7m Todd Boehly 'agreement'
However, Chelsea now believe signing Felix on loan until the end of the term can be a solution to these woes. football.london reported last month that Felix is someone who has been scouted on numerous occasions this season already by the west Londoners.
Atleti CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin recently revealed that Felix wants out after signing for the club for a whopping €126million (£113million) in 2019. "He is the biggest transfer that the club has made," Gil Marin said to AS.
"I think he can play at the highest level in the world, but for reasons that are not worth saying now, the relationship between the coach and him is not good. Neither is his motivation.
"The reasonable thing is to think that he will leave. Although I would love him to stay here, he doesn't want to remain at the club."
So Chelsea could definitely be an option for Felix, but the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Arsenal have also being linked with a move for the Portugal international. He has undoubted talent, but his attitude has come under question during his time in Madrid.
Someone who definitely backs his talent, however, is his Portugal teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. Back in 2019, Ronaldo was asked about Felix and gave him a big seal of approval.
Speaking to El Mundo Deportivo, Ronaldo said: "Can he [Felix] repeat my successes in Spain? I believe that a lot because he is an excellent player with a lot of potential who can evolve.
"You can see the same with Bernardo [Silva] although he is already much more mature in this regard. It is difficult to make calculations in current football.
"You bet a lot on the potential and the football industry is different. Leaving aside the case of Joao Felix, any player is worth €100million (£88.2million), even without having proven anything.
"There is more money in football. A central defender and a goalkeeper can be worth €70million-€80million (£61.8million-£70.6million). I don't agree but this is the world we live in and we have to respect it."
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