Atletico Madrid will sell Chelsea target Joao Felix for €50m (£43m), according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

It was reported on Sunday night that a deal for Samu Omorodion had collapsed, and the Blues are now eyeing the Spaniard’s teammate as an alternative.

Felix has been looking for a new club since his loan spell at Barcelona came to an end at the start of the summer.

He has been training with Atletico, having also played in some friendlies, but it was always believed that he would leave the Wanda Metropolitano before the end of the transfer window, especially after his club paid £82m for Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez.

Felix’s agent, Jorge Mendes, also manages new Chelsea signing Pedro Neto, and Jacobs says he is already in London, having helped complete the deal for the Wolves winger over the weekend.

Why did the deal for Omorodion collapse?

There are conflicting accounts of what actually happened. The two clubs had agreed a £35m fee but reports in the UK claim that the move broke down over personal terms.

However, sources closer to the player suggest that Chelsea changed the terms of the deal at the very last minute, leading Atletico to pull out.

Do Chelsea need a player like Felix?

It’s fair to say that the 24-year-old had a rather underwhelming time at Stamford Bridge when he spent six months on loan during the second half of the 2022/23 season. He scored just 4 times in 20 appearances.

The Blues were, however, still open to keeping Felix, but manager Mauricio Pochettino was not keen on the player, leading to his return to Atletico.

With Enzo Maresca now in charge, things are different.  The Portuguese international can play in more positions than Omorodion and he is more experienced. It is believed that, if he does make the switch to London, Raheem Sterling could depart.

Find out who is in Chelsea’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here