Chelsea's Joao Felix 'on the agenda' of Premier League rivals | OneFootball

Chelsea forward Joao Felix is reportedly "back on the agenda" for Premier League rivals Aston Villa as the January transfer deadline nears.

Villa have already turned down a big offer from West Ham United for striker Jhon Duran this month and the Colombian could still leave amid Premier League, European and Saudi Pro League interest.

Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are the latest clubs linked with Duran, who has been valued at £80m.

If Villa receive an offer in that region and accept, there would be a need to bring in a replacement forward. In that respect, having been keen on Felix back in summer but unwilling to meet Atletico Madrid's demands before the player joined Chelsea, The Athletic reports of renewed interest.

The expectation is that Chelsea will try to recruit another attacker themselves in the closing stages of the winter window - Dusan Vlahovic and Benjamin Sesko are rumoured options - which would mean one existing forward, possibly Felix, leaving. Christopher Nkunku is also heavily linked with an exit.

Felix has mainly played in cup competitions / Alex Grimm/GettyImages

Chelsea originally had Felix on loan in the latter half of the 2022/23 season. The Portugal international spent the following campaign on loan at Barcelona, before a permanent return to Stamford Bridge last August that also saw Conor Gallagher head to Spain.

Felix is among a number of players struggling for game time under Enzo Maresca this season. He has started only three times in the Premier League and has been an unused substitute almost as often as he has been on the pitch. His best returns have been in cup competitions, netting four times in the Conference League group stage and scoring a race against Morecambe in the FA Cup.

Villa are also interested in signing Axel Disasi from Chelsea. The French defender, a regular last season under Mauricio Pochettino, is another pushed to the fringes of the squad. Personal terms are already reported to be agreed, leaving it up to the clubs to hammer out a transfer.