Chelsea has officially announced the signing of Portuguese forward Joao Felix on loan from Atletico Madrid until the end of the season. Felix has extended his contract with Atletico until 2027 before joining Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues were able to successfully fend off interest from rival clubs Manchester United and Arsenal and got the deal over the line quickly. Both of them were hesitant to pay the €11m (£9.69m) loan fee plus wages before Chelsea stepped in and agreed terms with Los Rojiblancos.

As a result, Felix could be seen in action in his new colours as early as on Thursday when Chelsea are supposed to take on Fulham. However, the Blues’ head coach Graham Potter has mentioned that the club are waiting for official confirmation on whether or not the Portuguese superstar will be able to take any part in the West London derby.

“He’s a quality player. He can make a difference in the final third. He is young but has a lot of really good experience. He’s a quality player that brings everyone a lift,” Potter said regarding the Felix signing.

When asked whether the deal had been planned for a long time, he further added, “We’ve been aware of it for a while. The injuries have maybe sharpened the focus of the club.

“It is nice to get him here and training today. We will see him for the game on Thursday.”

Potter further explained that from the physical and fitness perspective, he is ready as he has been regularly featuring for Atletico Madrid in Spain. The unknown variables remain regarding his loan transfer as it usually works on a case-to-case basis but the Blues will be hoping that they will receive positive official confirmation regarding him.

When quizzed about his decision to join the club, the 23-year-old said that Chelsea is among the great teams in the world. He also hopes to be able to contribute to the club’s objectives over the remainder of the season and is happy to join and excited to play at Stamford Bridge.

Joao Felix has become the fourth signing for Chelsea in this transfer window following the arrivals of Benoit Badiashile, David Datro Fofana and Andrey Santos.