Joao Felix’s move from Chelsea to Al-Nassr was announced on Tuesday afternoon, but not before a series of events that frustrated all involved.
Chelsea have been looking to move on from Joao Felix for quite some time, after the Portuguese forward failed to break into the first team. Felix responded to Chelsea’s Instagram post, confirming the news.
The 25-year-old joins Al-Nassr following an extended transfer saga which involved Benfica attempting to lure Felix back home. But there was continuous disagreement from all sides during the course of negotiations, with the deal almost collapsing as a result of hard bargaining.
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Chelsea and Al-Nassr disagreed over a clause in Joao Felix deal before the move was finalised
In order to expedite the deal and secure his services, Al-Nassr allowed Felix to join before a full transfer agreement was in place. The forward reportedly did not undergo a medical.
According to Record, Chelsea recognised a tip in the scales at the negotiation table and toughened their stance on the automatic renewal clause requested by Al-Nassr. They wanted to have a right to the clause at the end of Felix’s contract in 2027, should the Saudi side not exercise it.
This effectively means Chelsea would have a buyback option if things don’t work out in the Gulf, something Felix was vehemently against.
The deal has been made official, though the outcome of this extra negotiation is unclear as of yet.
The situation Al-Nassr found themselves in is precisely why Rui Costa and Benfica pulled out of negotiations, sensing Chelsea were going to alter the deal should they allow Felix to travel to Lisbon without an agreement.
The future outlook for Joao Felix as he tries to reignite his career
Felix never found his feet during his second stint at Stamford Bridge, making just three league appearances before being loaned out to AC Milan. He joined the club at an unstable time under a new coach, and couldn’t get to the heights he reached at previous clubs.
But Felix’s deal in Saudi is short, and at just 25, there’s every chance he could be back playing in Europe for his prime years.
In his response to Chelsea’s farewell post, Felix wrote: “Once a blue, always a blue.”
Regardless of the drama that unfolded over the past week, it’s always nice to see a player leave on good terms.
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