Chelsea have often been able to make a move or two in the transfer window, especially since taking over Todd Boehly back in May 2022 from Roman Abramovich.
It’s safe to say the American has shown ambition in signing players to try and secure the club their first Premier League title since the 2016/17 season under Italian Antonio Conte.
Conte’s compatriot Enzo Maresca is the latest man tasked with ending the drought, with the club’s investment crucial to giving him the best chance of success at Stamford Bridge.
On the other hand, expenditure is just as important, balancing the books to prevent any financial breakthroughs while also raising funds to reinvest in the playing team.
Given the amount of players currently on the Blues payroll, it’s no surprise to see a number of players linked with a move away, including one talent who only recently joined Maresca’s side.
The Chelsea star is in talks to leave Stamford Bridge
According to Spanish outlet Estadio Deportivo, the Chelsea star João Félix is already in negotiations about moving away from West London, just a few months after moving permanently to the Bridge.
Owner of Portuguese international cost Boehly around £46 million in the summerwith academic graduate Conor Gallagher moving to Atlético Madrid as a separate deal but used as a sweetener to allow Felix to move.
However, the transfer did not go as planned by the Blues, starting with just three away games in the Premier League to date, scoring just one goal and spending most of his minutes off the bench.
The report claims the 25-year-old has been in direct talks with former Blues boss José Mourinho over a move to Turkish side Fenerbahçe this month, either on a temporary or permanent basis.
The Benfica academy graduate is said to be ‘uncomfortable’ with his current situation under Maresco, according to the report, opening the door to a move should the right offer come his way.
If he does move, there could be a repeat deal for another star who moved to a club with high expectations before swiftly moving on, allowing the hierarchy to cut their losses.
Why Felix could repeat Morata for Chelsea
Attacker Alvaro Morata he may have joined from Real Madrid, not Atlético, but he was another LaLiga talent who moved to Chelsea with real hopes of success given the huge price tag.
The 32-year-old cost dearly £70m including extras back in the summer of 2017, with real expectations of frontline transformation after that scored 20 goals for the Spanish giant the season before.
However, despite scoring 15 goals in his only full year in England, it soon became apparent that he was not the right player for the club, lasting just another six months before going out on loan to join Felix’s former side Atlético.
Although they did not lose their entire range of investments, he leaves permanently for £58m at the end of his interim tenure under Diego Simeone, it was a move that didn’t pay off – very similar to that of Felix in 2024/25.
Since leaving west London, Morata has moved to Italy’s AC Milan but registered double digits in every campaign since leaving the England squad – potentially allowing the club to regret their decision given the recent search for a number nine.
|
Álvaro Morata’s stats since leaving Chelsea in 2019 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
|
2019/20 |
44 |
16 |
4 |
|
2020/21 |
44 |
20 |
11 |
|
2021/22 |
48 |
12 |
7 |
|
2022/23 |
45 |
15 |
3 |
|
2023/24 |
48 |
21 |
4 |
|
Total: |
229 |
84 |
29 |
|
Statistics via Transfermarkt |
|||
Do you need a Portuguese ace, who makes money £130k a weekis leaving this month, it would be a shame to see a player of his quality leave, but it is clear that he is not currently in Maresca’s plans going forward given his lack of activity to date.
“sensational” The 25-year-old, as journalist Alex Goncalves called him, did not get a chance to show his star quality and considering the fact that he will enter his best years, he desperately needs to play regular football.
Given the form of former Morata talisman following his departure from west London, the club must consider all viable options to prevent a similar situation from happening again.
Felix certainly deserves more time in England to allow Maresca’s side to reap the benefits of his attributes and to prevent them prematurely dropping a player who could help push their way into their top four over the next few months.
