MX23RW : Thursday, May 2 07:21:55| >> :120:31532:31532:

Joao Felix 'flies to London for Chelsea medical'

Joao Felix 'flies to London for Chelsea medical'
© Reuters
Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix reportedly flies to London for his Chelsea medical ahead of completing a loan move until the end of the season.

Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix has reportedly flown to London for his Chelsea medical ahead of completing a loan move until the end of the season.

The Blues are understood to have reached a verbal agreement with Atletico to sign the 23-year-old on a temporary deal and will pay a loan fee of around €11m (£9.7m) for his services as well as cover his £250,000-a-week wages.

An option to buy has not been included in the deal, with Felix instead set to sign a contract extension with Atletico until 2027 before moving to Stamford Bridge.

According to Sky Sports News, Felix has flown to the English capital to undergo his medical before finalising his loan switch to Chelsea.

The West Londoners appear to have fended off competition from fellow Premier League sides Arsenal and Manchester United, who were both strongly linked with a move for the Portugal international.

Joao Felix in action for Atletico Madrid on August 21, 2022© Reuters

Confirmation of Felix's move to Stamford Bridge is set to be imminent and Sky Sports News chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol claims that the attacker could be available to make his debut against Fulham on Thursday if he is registered in time.

"There's a possibility he could be involved if everything goes well and the paperwork is lodged with the Premier League by midday tomorrow (Wednesday) which is the deadline for him to play on Thursday night against Fulham," said Solhekol.

"It's a big game for Chelsea and Graham Potter. There cannot be a repeat of the kind of performance we saw against Manchester City at the weekend."

Three-and-a-half years ago, Felix joined Atletico for a club-record £114m from Benfica and was regarded as one of the brightest prospects in world football.

However, the attacker has been unable to live up to expectations at Wanda Metropolitano and has fallen down the pecking order under head coach Diego Simeone, starting only seven games in La Liga so far this season.

Atletico Madrid's Joao Felix on the bench on October 12, 2022© Reuters

Felix most recently started for Atletico Madrid in their 1-0 La Liga defeat against Barcelona on Sunday, before being replaced in the 73rd minute.

The Viseu-born attacker, who has recorded five goals and three assists across all competitions this season, is now seeking a fresh challenge and is hoping to rediscover his form under Potter at Chelsea.

Potter has already been busy in the January market, recruiting Benoit Badiashile, David Datro Fofana and Andrey Santos on permanent deals.

Felix is now on the verge of joining a Chelsea side who currently sit 10th in their Premier League table, 10 points behind the top four, while they have already been eliminated from both domestic cup competitions.

Chelsea's only hope of silverware this season is in the Champions League, where Potter's side will take on Borussia Dortmund in the last 16 next month.

ID:503904:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect5601:

Joao Felix future - Click here for more stories

Click here for more stories about Joao Felix

Click here for more stories about Manchester United

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Atletico Madrid's Joao Felix on the bench on October 12, 2022
Read Next:
Chelsea 'verbally agree Joao Felix loan deal'
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal35255585285780
2Manchester CityMan City34247382325079
3Liverpool35229477364175
4Aston Villa35207873522167
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs33186967521560
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd34166125251154
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle341651374551953
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham351310125665-949
9Chelsea33139116359448
10Bournemouth35139135260-848
11Wolverhampton WanderersWolves35137154855-746
12Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton341111125257-544
13Fulham35127165155-443
14Crystal Palace351010154557-1240
15Everton35128153748-1136
16Brentford3598185260-835
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3579194262-2026
18Luton TownLuton3567224877-2925
19Burnley3559213870-3224
RSheffield UnitedSheff Utd3537253497-6316


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!