Chelsea’s pursuit of Atletico Madrid striker Samu Omorodion has dramatically fallen through at the final stages, leading the club to shift its focus to bringing Joao Felix back to Stamford Bridge.
The London club had nearly secured a £34.5 million transfer for Omorodion, with a seven-year contract prepared for the 20-year-old.
However, a significant issue with his contract emerged late in the process, causing the deal to collapse.
The Athletic reported that Chelsea had already increased their initial offer to persuade Atletico Madrid to sell, but those efforts now seem to have been in vain. Omorodion, who spent the previous season on loan at Deportivo Alaves, where he netted nine goals and provided one assist, will remain with the La Liga side.
Meanwhile, Chelsea and Atletico Madrid are still in talks over other potential deals, with Conor Gallagher poised for a move to the Spanish capital.
Gallagher’s contract with Chelsea was nearing its end, and the two clubs appeared to have agreed on a £33 million fee.
This transfer is crucial for both teams, who are looking to fund additional summer signings.
According to Fabrizio Romano, discussions have now turned toward the possibility of Joao Felix returning to Chelsea.
The Portuguese forward, who previously had a loan spell at Stamford Bridge, was loaned to Barcelona last season and does not seem to feature in Diego Simeone’s plans at Atletico.
With Felix’s future in doubt, his agent Jorge Mendes has reportedly traveled to London to negotiate a deal.
Atletico, on their part, are not just focusing on outgoings. They have reportedly agreed on an £81 million deal to sign Julian Alvarez from Manchester City, further emphasizing their need to offload players like Felix to balance the books.
Chelsea continues to be active in the transfer market. Their pursuit of Omorodion was separate from ongoing negotiations with Napoli involving Romelu Lukaku and Victor Osimhen.
The latter’s potential departure from Napoli has been the subject of much speculation, particularly after he was benched in a recent match.
Despite already having several forwards, including Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson, and Armando Broja, Chelsea remains in the market for attacking reinforcements.
Broja could be sold if the right offer comes in, making room for any new additions.
Chelsea’s new head coach, Enzo Maresca, has voiced concerns about the Premier League’s financial regulations, which he argues force clubs to sell academy talent.
“But this is not Chelsea’s problem, these are the rules,” Maresca commented. “All the clubs at this moment are compelled to sell players from the academy because of the rules. It’s all of the Premier League clubs’ problem.”
