Chelsea close to landing João Félix on loan

João Félix may not join Arsenal nor Manchester United, with Chelsea emerging late to land the Atletico Madrid forward. For weeks, Arsenal and Manchester United looked like the top two suitors to acquire the Portuguese. However, a late swoop by Todd Boehly and Graham Potter may bring in the talent.

According to The Athletic, João Félix has a verbal agreement with Chelsea to join the Stamford Bridge side on loan for the remainder of the season. David Ornstein reports that Chelsea will pay Atletico Madrid around $11 million for the half-season loan. This figure is below what Atletico originally wanted. However, it appeared no Premier League club wanted to pay that much for Félix.

Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano confirmed the link between the two sides.

Romano added that Chelsea had an increased desire to land a top-tier forward after a number of factors. For one, Chelsea is out of form with goals drying up offensively. Most recently, Chelsea suffered a 4-0 loss against Manchester City in the FA Cup after losing 1-0 to City midweek in the League.

Out of form Blues

That loss to City compounded a terrible run of form in the league. Chelsea has one win and one draw over its last seven league games. Over that time, Chelsea scored just four goals while conceding nine. As a result, Chelsea sits 10th in the table with a trip to seventh-spot Fulham next on the schedule.

Moreover, Chelsea is out of both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup. Manchester City hammered Chelsea in both competitions at the Etihad. Therefore, the only thing Chelsea has going for it is the UEFA Champions League. Chelsea is in the round of 16, and faces a tie against Borussia Dortmund.

These struggles are the result of a number of factors. New ownership is one distraction. Also, the arrival of Graham Potter makes things hard for players. Potter thrived at Brighton, and he is still implementing his tactics at Stamford Bridge. However, countless injuries bar any consistency on the team sheet.

João Félix answers some Chelsea injury woes

As Fabrizio Romano pointed out, Chelsea accelerated the talks with Atletico Madrid after a number of recent injuries. Right now, Chelsea could assemble a strong XI made solely out of players on its injury report. Edouard Mendy, Ben Chilwell, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, N’golo Kante and Ruben Loftus Cheek all have considerable injuries.

However, João Félix is there to fit in up top, where Chelsea is noticeably absent on names. Christian Pulisic, Raheem Sterling, Armando Broja and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang all have injuries. Therefore, João Félix can slide right in to play a role in Graham Potter’s team.

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