Chelsea’s permanent move for Joao Felix at risk of being hijacked

Reports suggest that Chelsea’s permanent move for Atletico Madrid’s loanee Joao Felix is at risk of a potential hijack, despite the interest of Chelsea co-owner and chairman Todd Boehly. Felix left Atletico Madrid during the January transfer window and arrived at Chelsea, with the Blues paying a £9.7m fee to keep him on loan until the end of the season.

The 23-year-old Portuguese wonderkid, who is under contract with Atletico until 2027, has made 15 appearances for Chelsea this season and scored two goals. Boehly is believed to be an admirer of Felix and wants the Atletico star to make a permanent switch to Stamford Bridge. However, Chelsea is weighing up a potential second loan spell for Felix and is not keen to meet Atletico’s £89m price tag for the player.

Despite Chelsea’s interest, it has now emerged that they potentially face competition in the race to sign Felix from Premier League side Newcastle. According to Cadena SER (via Diario AS), Newcastle is considering a potential hijack of Chelsea’s move for Felix, after an impressive season under Eddie Howe. The Magpies reached the League Cup final in February, with Manchester United ultimately winning 2-0 at Wembley.

Newcastle is pushing for a top-four Premier League finish this season and is three points clear of fifth-place Tottenham.

If they can secure Champions League football next season, they could tempt Felix with a move to St James’ Park. On the other hand, Chelsea is struggling to offer Felix European football next season after failing to secure a top-four spot in the Premier League and being knocked out of the Champions League.

As things stand, Chelsea is 11th in the league table and is unlikely to secure Europa League football. They could also miss out on a Conference League spot. Newcastle could be ready to put up a fee for Felix that Chelsea is unwilling to pay, with the club capable of doing so after the Saudi Arabia-led takeover in 2021.

In an interview with AS in February, Joao Felix revealed that one of the reasons he left Atletico Madrid was because he was “looking for a change of scene for a while.” He also said, “I left because I had had enough of trying and not succeeding. I had to leave in January, and I think it has been a good thing for Atletico and for me.”

It remains to be seen whether Chelsea will opt for a second loan spell for Felix or make a permanent move for him. However, the potential hijack from Newcastle could be a significant stumbling block in Chelsea’s pursuit of the Atletico Madrid star.