Fabrizio Romano says Chelsea will now allow a "leader" of their squad to depart Stamford Bridge if they manage to strike a deal for Atletico Madrid star Joao Felix.
Chelsea in talks to sign Felix after Samu Omorodion deal collapses
As widely reported, Enzo Maresca and co are now attempting to re-sign Felix as the Blues set their sights on a different Atletico star to Samu Omorodion – who was expected to make the move to west London.
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Omorodion was on the verge of joining Chelsea and signing a seven-year contract with England international midfielder Conor Gallagher heading the other way in a separate deal, but a move for the former suddenly collapsed, with the latter now in limbo as he waits to resolve his future.
Omorodion's botched move to Chelsea has had serious implications on Gallagher's move to Madrid, as Diego Simeone's side will no longer receive the mooted £35 million fee for their unwanted striker.
These funds would have contributed towards Atletico's £34 million deal for Gallagher, but the transfer domino has now stalled for the time being with Omorodion not heading to west London after all.
Cole Palmer
7.48
Conor Gallagher
7.13
Nicolas Jackson
7.07
Moises Caicedo
6.85
Noni Madueke
6.84
Chelsea are attempting to find another solution, though, with Romano breaking news over the weekend that Chelsea opened talks to sign Felix as an alternative. The Portugal international, who spent the second half of 2022/2023 on loan at Chelsea, could now rejoin the Blues in Omorodion's stead.
Felix has also attracted interest from Aston Villa this window, but a move to the Premier League may well beckon with a return to Chelsea instead.
The 24-year-old spent last season on a temporary spell at Barcelona, scoring seven goals and assisting three others in 30 La Liga appearances, whilst also performing in the Champions League with three goals and one assist in nine outings.
Supporters will be watching on to see whether they can bring an ex-star back to the club whilst also allowing Gallagher to depart.
Chelsea will allow Sterling to leave if Felix joins
While the 24-year-old's future hinders on Felix's arrival, the same can now be said for Raheem Sterling.
The winger, signed for £50 million two years ago, will be permitted to find a new club if Chelsea can sort a deal with Atletico. That is according to Romano, who says Chelsea are ready to green-light an exit for Sterling if Felix joins.
While the 29-year-old found himself on the bench more often than not during the latter stages of Mauricio Pochettino's only campaign in charge, Gallagher has called Sterling a "leader" in the Chelsea dressing room.
"[Sterling] is brilliant, really nice guy and top player of course, you see his career," said Gallagher (via BBC Sport).
"He's been really professional and a leader at Chelsea so credit to him, he's mentally very strong and hopefully he can keep playing like he played against Burnley because he's why we got that win.
"You need a bit of experience [in the squad] and when you've got young players in the squad, I think Raheem helps a lot of young players. He shows his experience and his qualities on the pitch and he's very appreciated at Chelsea."
