Chelsea Completes £45m Deal for Joao Felix, Conor Gallagher Heads to Atletico Madrid

Chelsea have completed the signing of Portugal forward Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid for a fee of approximately £45 million, with England midfielder Conor Gallagher moving to the Spanish club for around £33 million.

Felix, 24, returns to Stamford Bridge on a seven-year contract, marking his second stint with the London club after a loan spell in 2023, where he scored four goals in 20 appearances. "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."

Conor Gallagher, meanwhile, has signed a five-year deal with Atletico Madrid. Gallagher, who joined Chelsea at the age of six, made 90 appearances and scored 10 goals for the club. With his contract set to expire next summer, Chelsea opted to sell him to avoid the risk of losing him on a free transfer.

Gallagher expressed his gratitude to Chelsea on Instagram, stating, "To everyone at Chelsea, thank you for making my dreams come true. 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 negotiations to sign Felix were reportedly complicated by the collapse of Chelsea's talks to acquire Atletico striker Samu Omorodion, which delayed Gallagher's move to Spain. However, the successful transfer of Felix ultimately facilitated Gallagher's switch to Atletico.

Earlier this month, Gallagher spent five days in Madrid, staying in a hotel while awaiting the completion of his transfer before returning to London when the deal stalled. Gallagher previously had loan spells at Charlton, Swansea, West Brom, and Crystal Palace before breaking into Chelsea's first team in the 2022-23 season. He has earned 18 caps for England since his debut in 2021 and was included in the squads for the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024.

Despite the mixed reactions from Chelsea supporters regarding Gallagher's departure, the club managed to finalize his transfer outside the Premier League, avoiding a repeat of the sentiments felt by fans when Mason Mount moved to Manchester United. Chelsea also released a video tribute to Gallagher, acknowledging his long-standing association with the club as he departs for Atletico Madrid's Wanda Metropolitano.

This transfer saga, which saw Gallagher training alone at Cobham while negotiations continued, has now concluded with the player set to continue his career under Diego Simeone's management at Atletico Madrid.