Chelsea eye Felix as Omorodion move collapses

Chelsea’s pursuit of Atletico Madrid forward Samu Omorodion has collapsed at the final stages after a failure to agree on major details of the proposed contract.

The 20-year-old forward was expected to sign a seven-year deal as a fee in the region of $44 million was agreed between the two clubs.

But the West London club will not be welcoming the Spanish international after contract negotiations reached a deadlock.

Reports from Spain suggest the disagreement related to ownership of the player’s image rights. Whatever its nature, it has jettisoned the deal.

Chelsea is now reportedly shifting their interest toward Omorodion’s teammate Joao Felix, who spent the second half of the 2022/23 season on loan at Stamford Bridge.

With Omorodion staying in Madrid, the seemingly imminent transfer of Conor Gallagher from Chelsea to Atletico is now in jeopardy.

The midfielder had flown to Madrid to complete his transfer but is now expected to return to London as the sides scramble to save the deal.

Why Chelsea wanted Omorodion

Chelsea’s pursuit of Omorodion was in line with their overarching transfer strategy, which focuses on attracting highly rated young talents to the club. The Premier League club has already snatched a promising attacking talent from LaLiga this summer, signing Barcelona teenager Marc Guiu in a $6.4 million deal.

Omorodion fits that mold. The 20-year-old scored nine La Liga goals while on loan at Alaves last season and was part of Spain’s gold medal-winning side at the Paris Olympics. Standing at 6’4, the Melilla-born striker has the makings of a domineering center-forward, which is a position that Enzo Maresca’s side may want to reinforce.

Nicolas Jackson netted 14 Premier League goals in his debut campaign with the Blues. Christopher Nkunku has been lighting up pre-season after an injury-plagued start to life in West London.

However, there are lingering concerns about Jackson’s consistency. Maresca can deploy Nkunku as a winger, attacking midfielder or striker, stating that the French international ‘can play everywhere.’

Omorodion, then, would have added depth to a relatively thin department of Chelsea’s squad. Meanwhile, he boasts the star potential that has consistently enticed the Todd Boehly-led consortium since they took charge in 2022.

Chelsea eyeing Joao Felix return in lieu of Omorodion

Chelsea is eyeing Joao Felix as a new candidate to refresh their attacking options after failing to land Omorodion.

The 24-year-old, also of Atletico Madrid, has spent the last season-and-a-half out on loan. At first, that was with Chelsea. Then, he spent time at Barcelona. Each move is a reflection of his failure to establish himself at Atletico Madrid following his $144 million move. That 2019 move remains Atletico Madrid’s most expensive transfer of all time.

There is no doubting the Portuguese international’s talent. He brings an entirely different profile compared to Omorodion, raising questions about his potential fit at Stamford Bridge. Felix operates best as an attacking midfielder or second striker, which is hardly a position of need for The Blues.

He impressed in that role during his short stint at Chelsea. Yet, that was before Cole Palmer arrived from Manchester City and stamped his identity on this struggling side.

Palmer, whether starting in the No. 10 or from that right wing, plays in the same pockets of space as Felix. He is hardly going to be displaced after a stellar debut campaign with the club. Nkunku, another of Chelsea’s most highly regarded attackers, can also play in the position.

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