Chelsea will let their £50m “leader” leave if Joao Felix joins

Fabrizio Romano says Chelsea will now allow their club's “leader” to leave Stamford Bridge if they can seal a deal for Atletico Madrid's Joao Felix.

Chelsea are in talks to sign Felix after the collapse of the Samu Omorodion deal

As widely reported, Enzo Maresca and co are now trying to re-sign Felix as the Blues look for Atletico star Samu Omorodion – who was expected to move to west London.

Omorodion was on the verge of joining Chelsea and signing a seven-year contract with England midfielder Conor Gallagher going the other way in a separate deal, but the former's move collapsed suddenly, and the latter is now in limbo as he waits to settle. his future.

Omorodion's move to Chelsea has had a negative effect on Gallagher's move to Madrid, as Diego Simeone's side will no longer receive the £35 million bribe for their unwanted striker.

These fees would have contributed to Atletico's £34 million deal for Gallagher, but the transfer domino has stopped for now with Omorodion not going to west London.

Chelsea are trying to find another solution, however, with Romano leading the news over the weekend that Chelsea have opened talks to sign Felix as an alternative. The Portuguese, who spent the second half of 2022/2023 on loan at Chelsea, could now join the Blues as Omorodion's replacement.

Felix has also attracted interest from Aston Villa this window, but a move to the Premier League could tempt him to return to Chelsea instead.

The 24-year-old spent last season on a spell at Barcelona, ​​scoring seven goals and assisting three in 30 La Liga appearances, while in the Champions League with three goals and one assist in nine outings.

Fans will be watching to see if they can bring the former star back to the club when they let Gallagher leave too.

Chelsea will let Sterling leave if Felix joins

While the 24-year-old's future is hampered by Felix's arrival, the same can be said for Raheem Sterling.

The midfielder, signed for £50 million two years ago, will be allowed to find a new club if Chelsea can agree a deal with Atletico. This is according to Romano, who says Chelsea are ready to give the green light to Sterling's exit if Felix joins.

While the 29-year-old found himself on the bench several times during the final stages of Mauricio Pochettino's sole campaign in charge, Gallagher called Sterling a “leader” in the Chelsea dressing room.

“[Sterling] he's smart, he's a good person and a great player, he knows his job,” said Gallagher (via BBC Sport).

“He was a great player and a leader at Chelsea so credit to him, he's mentally strong and I hope he can continue to play like he did against Burnley because that's why we won.

“You need a little experience [in the squad] and if you have young players in the team, I think Raheem helps a lot of young players. He shows his knowledge and qualities on the pitch and is highly valued at Chelsea. ”