Chelsea may have found a way to raise the substantial funds needed to re-sign Marc Guehi in January by selling a player once tipped for global stardom. Joao Felix joined for £45million in the summer from Atletico Madrid, with club academy product Conor Gallagher moving the other way.
The switch represented a fresh start for the Portuguese forward, who had previously had a stint at Stamford Bridge on loan in the 2022/23 campaign.
He then joined Barcelona on a season-long deal, but failed to secure a permanent move to the Non Camp and returned to Madrid to find he was no longer part of Diego Simeone’s plans.
Related articles
Felix became the second most expensive teenager of all time when he joined Atletico from Benfica for £113m in July 2019, but has since struggled to live up to expectations. And less than five months after returning to London, the 25-year-old is reportedly already on the brink of an exit.
According to TEAMtalk, the player is unhappy with his lack of game time under Enzo Maresca. He’s featured in just 17 matches in all competitions, and has mostly been confined to Europa Conference League matches.
It follows speculation that is was the Chelsea hierarchy, and not Maresca, who pushed to sign the player on permanent deal in the summer. And there are said to be a number of interested parties in Felix, with the Blues likely to be able to recuperate most of their transfer fee.
Offloading Felix could also help Chelsea comply with Financial Fair Play given his £130,000-per-week wages, and the fact he still has more than six years left on his deal means they are in a strong negotiating position. More significantly, a sale could the pave the way for a big bid for Guehi.
Crystal Palace are already said to have rejected one offer from their London rivals, with Liverpool and Newcastle also linked with the England star. And Felix isn’t there only candidate to be sold this month as the Blues look to address their recent slump in form.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Axel Disas have also all been touted for permanent moves away. Chelsea are likely to need to bid in excess of £70m for Guehi, given Palace rejected Newcastle’s offer of £62m in the summer.
Don't miss...
Southgate in the running to manage France with Didier Deschamps to step down [LATEST]
Graham Potter's first words as West Ham boss gets his wish from David Sullivan [LATEST]
Bentancur offers health update after being taken to hospital in Tottenham win [LATEST]
Guehi, 24, spent 14 years at Chelsea but only made two senior appearances before moving to Palace in 2021. He’s since made 134 appearances for the Eagles, and was considered one of his country’s best players on their run to the final in Euro 2024.
The centre-back himself has not commented on his future. But with his current deal expiring in the summer of 2026, Palace will be aware they can ill-afford to let the situation drag on into next season.
