Chelsea may offer Romelu Lukaku as part of a swap deal to sign Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid this summer, according to reports.
Joao Felix, 23, completed a short-term loan to Chelsea in January until the end of the season.
The Portuguese attacker has dazzled in patches, albeit two goals in 15 Blues appearances does highlight his lack of end product as a flaw in his game.
Speculation this week now suggests that Chelsea could try to make his deal from Atletico a permanent one in the summer.
According to Calciomercato, Chelsea could look to launch a player-plus-cash deal for Felix in the summer transfer window.
It is understood that Atletico Madrid value him at around €80million (£71million).
The report says that Chelsea could look to include their forgotten man Romelu Lukaku, who’s valued at €40million (£36million), in the deal.
The 29-year-old striker is someone that Atletico do admire, so it feels like a sensible move for all parties if something can be agreed.
Lukaku, who’s still on Chelsea’s books, will return to Stamford Bridge at the end of the season when his current loan expires with Inter Milan.
Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Inter won’t be re-signing Lukaku in the summer on a permanent basis, so he’s due back in West London for pre-season unless he finds a new club.
In our view, Lukaku needs to be offloaded for the good of all parties.
As for Felix, we can see the positives and negatives of bringing him back to the club next season.
Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez has previously shared his love for Felix, explaining the pair have a decent understanding both on and off the pitch.
The 23-year-old playmaker definitely brings something special with the ball at his feet, but the club’s main focus in the next window has to be in signing an out-and-out striker.
If there’s room for Felix alongside a No.9, we think he could be worth it at a reasonable transfer cost.