Felix to Chelsea and the most expensive loan transfers ever

Karan Tejwani
Joao Felix, Portugal, World Cup 2022

Joao Felix is set to complete a loan move to Chelsea in a lucrative move that will see Atletico Madrid earn €11 million for a six-month deal in Spain.

Felix moved to Atletico Madrid in 2019 but things haven’t quite worked out for him, and he is set to leave the club in the winter on loan.

There was plenty of interest in Felix, including Chelsea’s Premier League rivals Manchester United and Arsenal, but Chelsea moved fastest to get a deal done.

READ: How Chelsea could line up with Joao Felix

The deal will see the Blues cover the entirety of Felix’s wages but it comes without an option to buy the player permanently at the end of the loan period.

Chelsea pay big for Felix

The €11 million fee is one of the biggest fees paid for a loaned player, but not the biggest as there are several others eclipsing his deal.

The biggest is Alvaro Morata, who has had a series of loans including one to Juventus in the summer of 2020 which came with an option to buy.

READ: Chelsea beat Man Utd & Arsenal to Joao Felix transfer

The Bianconeri paid a whopping €20 million for his services, eclipsing the €18.3 million Atletico Madrid paid for his loan two years before that, which is the second biggest loan fee ever.

Giovanni Lo Celso’s loan from Paris Saint-Germain to Tottenham is the third-biggest loan fee ever as Spurs forked out €16.3 million for a loan spell in 2019.

Just behind that is Duvan Zapata, who moved to Atalanta on loan from Sampdoria on a €14.2 million fee and he had a starring role for his new side, spurring them on to the Champions League.

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James Rodriguez arrived at Real Madrid as a star but his time there wasn’t as great, and he was allowed to go to Bayern Munich on a two-season deal worth €13.2 million back in 2017.

Wrapping up the top five is Carlos Tevez, who’s loan from West Ham to Manchester United cost the Red Devils €12.9 million.

So, what is the rest of the top ten like, including Joao Felix’s recent move?

Player Transfer Loan Fee
Alvaro Morata Atletico Madrid to Juventus (2020) €20m
Alvaro Morata Chelsea to Atletico Madrid (2018) €18.3m
Giovanni Lo Celso PSG to Tottenham (2019) €16.3m
Duvan Zapata Sampdoria to Atalanta (2018) €14.3m
James Rodriguez Real Madrid to Bayern Munich (2017) €13.2
Carlos Tevez West Ham United to Manchester United (2007) €12.9m
Federico Chiesa Fiorentina to Juventus (2020) €12.7m
Nicolo Barrela Cagliari to Inter (2019) €12.2
Odion Ighalo Shanghai Shenhua to Manchester United (2020) €12.2m
Joao Felix Atletico Madrid to Chelsea (2023) €11m

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