Chelsea and Aston Villa are both interested in signing Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix this summer.
However, it is Chelsea who appear to be in the driving seat for Joao Felix‘s signature in a blow to Unai Emery.
Emery is a huge fan of Felix, but the Spaniard is now in serious danger of missing out on the 24-year-old to Chelsea, who have turned their attention to signing him after ending their pursuit of Samu Omorodion.
The Blues were set to sign Felix’s Atletico teammate, but complications with the deal have seen the club pull out.
Chelsea leading the race for Joao Felix
There is no guarantee that Chelsea will sign Felix this summer. It is quite a complicated deal, which indirectly involves Conor Gallagher and his potential move to Atletico.
However, the club do look to be at the front of the queue for his signature at the moment.
According to GiveMeSport, Felix prefers a move to Stamford Bridge over a switch to Villa Park.
The outlet claims that because the Portuguese attacker has already played there before and believes Chelsea will make a quick return to the Champions League, he wants to rejoin the Blues.
TalkSPORT pundit Ally McCoist isn’t too convinced about Chelsea re-signing Felix, though, questioning whether he is actually the answer for Enzo Maresca‘s side.
Joao Felix arrival could push Noni Madueke out of Chelsea
Chelsea already have plenty of attacking options, so the arrival of Felix could result in the club having to sell someone.
According to The Telegraph, that someone could be Noni Madueke, though letting him go would be a big mistake.
Madueke remains a very talented winger and was easily one of Chelsea’s best players in pre-season, scoring three goals.
Over the past year, the 22-year-old has averaged 3.16 successful take-ons per 90 minutes (FBref), showing just how good of a dribbler he is. Selling him would be a huge error of judgement.
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