Man Utd and Arsenal put on red alert as Joao Felix transfer clause makes deal a formality
tletico Madrid are reportedly willing to let Joao Felix leave the Spanish capital on loan to a Premier League club so long as the Financial Fair Play costs of his contract are taken care of by the other side.
A former Golden Boy winner, things haven’t exactly gone to plan for the Portugal international at the Wanda Metropolitano and he has struggled to justify the astonishing €126million price tag he arrived with.
Diego Simeone’s side are aiming to recoup around £8million in loan fees, as well as Felix’s wages paid in full though there would be no contractual obligation to buy. As things stand, two Premier League clubs are more interested than most.
One of whom is league leaders Arsenal, who while sitting pretty at the top of the table will have concerns over the fact their talismanic forward Gabriel Jesus is sidelined for the forseeable future after undergoing knee surgery.
The other party rumoured to be keen is Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United, who view 23-year-old Felix as a potential replacement for his fellow countryman Cristiano Ronaldo who left Old Trafford in controversial circumstances last month.
Both of the aforementioned Premier League giants boast the kind of financial power that means covering the cost of Felix’s salary and the £8m in loan fees would be more than achievable.
The Daily Record report that Arsenal are currently leading the face for his signature, albeit on a temporary basis. Felix is thought to be unhappy with the amount of game-time he has received under Simeone recently and with Jesus crocked, the Emirates is a destination he’d likely see plenty of minutes.
In early December, Atletico chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin conceded Felix had frustations and was persuaded to reject a proposal from the Premier League’s reigning champions Manchester City.
“The reasonable thing is to think that he is leaving, although I would love him to continue,” Gil Marin admitted. “But that is not the player’s idea. He is the biggest bet the club has made.
“I think he has the highest level in the world, but because of his relationship with the coach, the minutes played, his motivation…the reasonable thing to do is to consider his departure if an offer comes in”.
Simeone has recently been forced to face questions over Felix’s future, to which he hit back: “I want Atletico to win, that’s my sole focus. Then what has to happen will happen. No one is indispensable and things will be as they have to be.
“He had a good World Cup, he participated in goals. Hopefully we can have the Joao of the World Cup…I hope we can give him the peace of mind and joy to show what he demonstrated in the World Cup, which was very good.”
