Chelsea’s summer spending spree continued with the purchase of João Félix, who signed from Atlético Madrid in a deal worth around £46.3m.
The deal means Enzo Maresca has now signed ten players during the current transfer window in a bid to get the Stamford Bridge side back into the Champions League via a top four Premier League finish this season.
The Italian has spent over £200m since taking charge, but might he have overpaid for several players? Most notably, Felix.
João Félix’s market value
The Portuguese star enjoyed a solid, if unspectacular season at Barcelona during 2023/24. The former Benfica sensation scored ten goals and grabbed six assists for the Catalan side, hardly jaw-dropping statistics.
Despite interest from Aston Villa, it was clear when the Blues emerged as potential suitors for his signature, there was only going to be one winner.
Felix spent the second half of the 2022/23 season on loan at Chelsea, scoring four times in 16 Premier League games for the club.
Has his form over the previous 18 months warranted a swoop for close to £50m? Especially when his market value, according to Transfermarkt, currently stands at €30m (£26m) at the time of writing.
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João Félix’s statistics in La Liga last season |
|
|---|---|
|
Goals |
7 |
|
Assists |
3 |
|
Big chances created |
6 |
|
Key passes per game |
0.6 |
|
Successful dribbles per game |
1 |
|
Total duels won per game |
3.8 |
|
Via Sofascore |
|
Unless his form picks up during his time at Chelsea, this value might not increase, indicating yet another player the club have overspent to sign.
One player who has seen his value soar since joining the Blues is Cole Palmer, and he is worth much more than Felix.
Cole Palmer’s market value at Chelsea
It was perhaps a surprise to everyone when Palmer made the move from City to Chelsea last summer for £40m considering he had scored in his first two matches of the season for the Etihad side.
City’s loss was Mauricio Pochettino’s gain, however, as the Englishman enjoyed a breakthrough season at the Blues. Not only did he score 27 times in all competitions, but the youngster grabbed a further 15 assists, taking no time to settle in at Stamford Bridge,
The £130k-per-week starlet ranked in the top 10% when compared to his positional peers in the Premier League last term for assists, total shots, shot-creating actions and progressive passes per 90, underlining just how impressive he was in what was a poor season for the club overall.
Palmer was dubbed “elegant” by talent scout Jacek Kulig in 2022, the former City gem is swiftly becoming one of the finest players in the top flight.
To reflect this, his market valuation has soared since he moved from Manchester to London. At the time of writing, Palmer is now worth €80m (£68m) according to Transfermarkt.
This figure is more than double that of Felix’s current valuation – as well as firmly ahead of the £46.3m transfer fee – indicating that Chelsea hit the jackpot by signing Palmer for £40m last year.
If he continues his current form, then this will surely continue to rise as the months go by, which could see the Blues secure a massive profit for him in the future.
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