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Diego Simeone has praised Joao Felix’s ‘commitment’ and says the attacking midfielder could feature in Atletico Madrid’s clash with Villarreal, despite rumours he is set to join Chelsea.
Felix fell some way short of expectations during an underwhelming six-month spell at Stamford Bridge in the 2022/23 season, but the latest reports indicate Chelsea have agreed personal terms with the 24-year-old.
For much of the summer, the Blues have been locked in discussions with Atleti over proposed transfer deals for Conor Gallagher and Samu Omorodion, neither of which have materialised.
But Chelsea’s pursuit of Felix appears to be heading in the right direction, with their latest bid of £39.2million plus £4.2m in bonuses believed to be close to Atleti’s valuation.
It’s understood suggestions that Atletico have been demanding £51m for Felix are false and the west London giants are now confident of getting the deal over the line, which could, in turn, see Gallagher head to Madrid.
The transfer saga has dominated headlines in Spain ahead of Atleti’s opening match of their La Liga campaign away to Villarreal on Monday night.
‘He is doing very well, as you can see,’ Simeone told reporters when asked for an update on Felix’s situation at his pre-match press conference this morning.
‘His behaviour is what is expected of any footballer at Atleti… commitment, training in the best way, ready for whatever is proposed to him and competing with team-mates.
‘Time will tell if we can use him tomorrow or not.’
Felix, who is tied into a contract at Metropolitano Stadium until 2029, has remained tight-lipped on his future amid the transfer speculation and was pictured in training with his Atleti team-mates today.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca also refused to be drawn on the rumours surrounding Felix at a press conference on Friday.
‘The only I can say is they are not our players so it’s not correct to talk about a Napoli player or Atletico Madrid player,’ Maresca said.
‘The club knows exactly what I think in terms of what we need and hopefully before we finish the transfer window, we can bring in some players.’
Chelsea’s interest in Felix has raised eyebrows among many fans given the Portugal international struggled to make a significant impact in his previous spell with the club.
In 20 appearances, Felix scored four goals and failed to register a single assist in any competition.
The former Benfica man spent last season on loan at Barcelona, racking up ten goals and four assists for the Catalan outfit.
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