Arsenal are in talks to sign Joao Felix on loan in January but Manchester United are also eyeing the Atletico Madrid forward, according to Daily Record.
Felix has reportedly fallen out with Atletico boss Diego Simeone and the newspaper says the La Liga club are now prepared to sanction a loan move to England this winter. Atletico want to get the forward’s wages off their books to help meet Financial Fair Play guidelines, and will let Felix leave if a club pays an £8m loan fee as well as agreeing to cover all of his wages.
The situation has alerted clubs here in the Premier League with the Daily Record claiming that Arsenal and Man Utd have expressed their interest in bringing Felix to England.
Manchester United are said to be interested in signing the 23-year-old as a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo – who terminated his contract at Old Trafford last month.
However, the Daily Record says talks between Atletico and Arsenal are more advanced so the Gunners appear to be in pole position to sign the Portuguese international this winter.
Mikel Arteta wants to bolster to his attack after Gabriel Jesus was forced to undergo surgery on a serious knee injury that he suffered while playing for Brazil at the World Cup.
The South American, who joined the Gunners from Manchester City last summer, is expected to be out for several months, leaving the Premier League leaders short of forwards.
As it stands, Eddie Nketiah is the only senior striker in Arsenal’s ranks, prompting Arteta to add depth in the attacking department during the January transfer window.
Replacement for Gabriel Jesus
Jesus has been instrumental for Arsenal this season, churning out impressive performances consistently to propel the north London club to the summit of the league table, five points clear of Manchester City.
The 25-year-old has scored five goals and provided seven assists in 20 matches for Arsenal this season. He will be a big miss for Arteta’s side – who are gunning to win the Premier League title after an impressive start to the campaign.
Felix, who is now valued at just £43m [€50m] by Transfermarkt, is seen as a perfect fit despite struggling for playing time at Atletico Madrid. He would be a bargain replacement for Jesus and a loan move would allow Arsenal to use their transfer kitty to strengthen other areas of their squad.
Felix joined Atletico Madrid from Benfica in 2019, having helped the Lisbon side win the Portuguese league title with 15 goals and seven assists in 21 starts.
Since leaving Portugal for Spain, Felix has netted 33 goals and provided 18 assists in 129 appearances for Atletico across all competitions – winning the 2020/21 La Liga title with Simeone’s side.
This is season, he has amassed four goals and three assists from 18 outings, starting just three games in La Liga and a further three in the Champions League.
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