Chelsea open talks for ANOTHER attacker after Joao Felix deal

Carlo Garganese

20 Aug 2024 06:59 BST
3 min read

Todd Boehly, Chelsea, money, 2023/24 — © IMAGO

Chelsea may have agreed a deal to re-sign Joao Felix but their recruitment of attackers does not stop there.

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Indeed, the Blues have now opened talks with Juventus over the potential signing of Federico Chiesa.

On Monday evening it was confirmed by multiple sources that Chelsea have reached an agreement with Atletico Madrid for Joao Felix.

According to David Ornstein, Felix is set to sign a six-year deal with the option for a further year.

The exact amount of the transfer fee has not yet been disclosed but is a significant one.

Despite another crazy summer of spending - with Chelsea’s first-team squad now containing 44 players - the Blues are still planning to sign more players.

Gianluca Di Marzio reports that Chelsea are in talks with Juventus over Chiesa.

The Blues want to sign the Euro 2020 star but they must offload Raheem Sterling first, which will not be easy given his high salary.

Chiesa has been transfer listed since the end of last season and has been frozen out of the Juventus squad all pre-season, missing the 3-0 win over Como in the first matchday of Serie A.

Juventus would accept a transfer fee of around €15-20 million to sell Chiesa this summer.

Chelsea are now considered the most likely destination for Chiesa, who has no concrete offers from any other clubs.

Why Juventus want to sell Chiesa

There are a number of reasons why Juventus plan to sell Chiesa..

First of all, his contract expires in 2025, and contract renewal talks have ended.

Juventus are unwilling to match Chiesa’s demands of €7 million per season due to his constant injuries.

He missed most of 2022 with an ACL injury and has suffered 10 different physical problems in the last 18 months after returning.

Chiesa has yet to return to the levels that saw him explode as one of Europe’s best wingers at Euro 2020, and this is another reason Juventus are reluctant to give him a big contract.

New Juventus manager Thiago Motta also sees Chiesa as expendable and doesn’t believe he fits into his team tactically.

Chiesa would ideally like the stay but has now accepted he must find a new club.

He struggled at Euro 2024, which has not helped his cause at repairing his reputation.