Chelsea sign Felix from Atletico for £45m as Gallagher leaves

Chelsea have signed Portugal forward Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid for approximately £45 million, with England midfielder Conor Gallagher moving in the opposite direction for around £33 million.

Felix, 24, has agreed to a seven-year contract and begins his second stint at Stamford Bridge.

He scored four goals in 20 appearances during a loan spell with Chelsea in 2023. “I’m really happy to be back at Chelsea and I can’t wait to get started,” Felix said.

“I can see some familiar faces from the last time I was here, which is always nice.”

Gallagher has signed a five-year contract with Atletico Madrid.

Gallagher, who joined Chelsea at the age of six, made 90 appearances and scored 10 goals. With just one year remaining on his contract, Chelsea opted to sell now rather than risk losing him on a free transfer next summer.

“To everyone at Chelsea, thank you for making my dreams come true,” Gallagher wrote on Instagram. “It’s been an absolute honour every time I put on the shirt, and it was a dream come true to captain the team on many occasions.

“I loved every moment. These memories will last forever. I appreciate all the love and support from the fans.”

The collapse of Chelsea’s negotiations to sign Atletico Madrid striker Samu Omorodion had delayed Conor Gallagher’s move to Spain.

However, the completion of the Joao Felix deal has now provided Atletico with the necessary funds to finalize Gallagher’s transfer.

Earlier this month, Gallagher spent five days in a hotel in Madrid anticipating the deal would go through before returning to London when the transfer stalled.

Gallagher had previous loan spells at Charlton, Swansea, West Brom, and Crystal Palace before establishing himself in Chelsea’s first team at the start of the 2022-23 season. He has earned 18 England caps since his debut in 2021 and was part of the Three Lions squads for the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024.