Chelsea are willing to offer Christian Pulisic in part exchange for signing Joao Felix permanently in the summer, with Atletico Madrid wanting €100 million.
According to Fichajes, Chelsea could use Christian Pulisic in a part-exchange deal to sign Joao Felix permanently. The Blues remain keen to convert the Portuguese star’s loan move but face the hurdle from Atletico Madrid, who want at least €100 million.
Atletico Madrid could consider selling Joao Felix in the summer if interested clubs come close to their valuations. The Portuguese star has plenty of interest from top sides next summer as he looks to finish the season at Chelsea.
Chelsea managed to sign him on a dry loan in January without an option to buy. The Blues paid a hefty loan fee and covered his salary for the campaign’s duration. The operation has cost the Premier League side around €21 million, which is significant.
While the current plan is for Felix to return to Atletico when the deal expires, they are open to a sale. The Rojiblancos want around €100 million to let him leave. The price is considered big by even Chelsea’s standards, as they could come under the FFP scanner if they continue to spend heavily.
While there are clubs like Real Madrid in the hunt for Felix, the Blues would like to use their momentum and make his transfer permanent. Chelsea are keen but could decrease the asking price with thorough negotiations with Atletico.
While Atletico would prefer not to sell Felix to Real Madrid, they will want that €100 million. Chelsea reportedly considered various players in part exchange to reduce the price, including sending Romelu Lukaku the other way.
While the Belgian seems adamant about his wish to stay put at Inter Milan, Chelsea are now looking to include Christian Pulisic as part of the deal. The USMNT star will enter the final year of his contract in June as his value plummeted to €20-25 million.
The 24-year-old attacker has steadily fallen down the pecking order, while injuries have also hampered his time at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea are not looking to renew his deal, meaning a move away in the summer could become an option. Whether he would want to play for Atletico remains the question.
A reduction of that price in Felix’s overall asking rate would benefit Chelsea in a big way. While the attacker is only on loan, they want to build a team around the Portuguese star. Hence, the Blues need to sign him here permanently, which is necessary to their plans.
Much will depend on Atletico and their interest in taking Pulisic. While the idea is not out of the question, in the present scenario, they may want the full price for the €100 million-rated attacker from any interested club.
