Al-Nassr Agree £43.7m Deal to Sign Chelsea’s Joao Felix

Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr have reached an agreement to sign Joao Felix from Chelsea in a deal worth up to £43.7m.

The 25-year-old Portuguese forward has been granted permission to travel to Riyadh for a medical, where he is expected to join forces with national team captain Cristiano Ronaldo.

Felix had attracted interest from former club Benfica, but Al-Nassr’s financial offer proved decisive in sealing the transfer.

Chelsea’s Summer Business

Chelsea paid £45m to Atletico Madrid last summer for Felix, and recoup nearly the entire amount with this deal. The Blues also sent him on loan to AC Milan in January for a £5m loan fee, bringing their total income from Felix to just under £50m.

The sale is part of a wider financial balancing act by Chelsea, who are under pressure from UEFA to end the transfer window with a positive net spend.

Already this summer, Chelsea have raised over £130m through the sales of:

• Djordje Petrovic (GK)

• Kepa Arrizabalaga (GK)

• Noni Madueke (Winger)

Additional players like Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Renato Veiga, and Armando Broja are also up for sale.

Chelsea Spending Continues

Despite the pressure to meet UEFA’s financial sustainability targets, Chelsea have spent £212m on new talent, including:

• Liam Delap (Striker)

• Jamie Gittens (Winger)

• Joao Pedro (Forward)

The club is also actively pursuing deals for Xavi Simons and Jorrel Hato, but those signings may hinge on the Blues completing additional sales to stay within UEFA’s imposed constraints.

UEFA previously fined Chelsea £27m and warned of potential restrictions on Champions League registration should they fail to comply.

Felix Heads to the Middle East

Felix’s move to Al-Nassr marks the next chapter in a career that has taken him from Benfica to Atletico Madrid, then to Chelsea and Milan, and now to Saudi Arabia.

At Al-Nassr, he will reunite with Cristiano Ronaldo, adding creativity and firepower to a squad pushing for both domestic and Asian Champions League glory.

The move also aligns with Saudi Arabia’s ongoing drive to bring elite European players into the Pro League, with Felix joining the growing list of stars who have made the switch.