Chelsea may use two players in swap deal for Joao Felix

Chelsea may send two players to Atletico Madrid as part of a swap deal to permanently land Joao Felix. Given the fact that Atletico will not give away its talisman for cheap, Chelsea may want to limit its spending. Moreover, there are too many players at the club after a spending spree under Todd Boehly. A swap deal alleviates some of the crowded squad.

According to the Evening Standard, the two players Chelsea could part with are Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Marc Cucurella. Both players have experience in LaLiga. Aubameyang spent a portion of the 2021/22 campaign with FC Barcelona. Then, before joining Brighton and Hove Albion, Cucurella made 38 appearances with Getafe.

Atletico Madrid expects over $100 million from Chelsea for Joao Felix. Mauricio Pochettino is looking likely to take over at Chelsea in the summer. The Argentine will have major implications on the Chelsea squad. That starts with Felix, who hinted at staying at the Stamford Bridge club by raising his jersey after scoring against Bournemouth at the weekend.

The potential for a Felix swap deal helps the club step around financial fair play, where Chelsea is under the watchful eye of UEFA and Financial Fair Play. Record spending in the winter with a handful of expensive acquisitions, notably Mykhailo Mudryk and Enzo Fernandez, could limit the spending this summer.

Felix swap deal allows Chelsea to keep money

Chelsea’s reported losses of around $150 million could put some top talent on the chopping block at Stamford Bridge. The Evening Standard listed Mateo Kovacic, Christian Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Edouard Mendy, Hakim Ziyech, Conor Gallagher, Kalidou Koulibaly and Mason Mount as players that are likely to leave. The threat to homegrown talents has led to some disapproval within the Chelsea academy coaching staff.

However, Chelsea is waiting for Pochettino to have a say. The Argentine is certainly the frontrunner to be the Chelsea manager ahead of next season. For now, Frank Lampard leads the club into its final three games of the season.

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