Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is reportedly a big fan of Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix as he eyes up a potential transfer.
The Portugal international has struggled in his time in La Liga, and it wouldn’t be too surprising to see him move on soon, with big clubs perhaps still likely to rate him highly after the immense potential he showed in his Benfica days.
According to Don Balon, Chelsea could be suitors for Felix, who is valued at around €80million, but Atletico might also be open to agreeing a swap deal that would see Timo Werner move in the other direction.
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Like Felix, Werner has looked a shadow of his old self in recent times, so this exchange could suit all parties involved.
Werner could get the chance to revive his career by leaving Chelsea, while the Blues will no doubt hope they can get Felix back to his best at Stamford Bridge, thereby helping them look in strong shape up front.
Romelu Lukaku joined CFC this summer and has started well, but Thomas Tuchel could surely do with someone like Felix coming in to make sure his team doesn’t become overly reliant on the Belgium international.
Felix could be an upgrade on Werner, and also on inconsistent performers like Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech, though some fans might be unsure about him after his difficult spell in Madrid.
The 21-year-old surely still has time to turn his career around, but it might also be that he never quite becomes the player he looked like he could be at Benfica, as he’s struggled to make that step up to playing at a more competitive level.
Then again, that could also be down to Diego Simeone’s tactics not being the right fit for Felix, who perhaps hasn’t enjoyed the kind of attacking freedom that would suit his strengths better.
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