90min has reported that Arsenal and Manchester United have held talks with the agent of Joao Felix after Atletico Madrid made it clear they’ll let the forward leave next month.
Felix has been told that he is free to leave the Wanda Metropolitano this winter following a reported fallout with boss Diego Simeone. The Portugal international joined Atleti in 2019 for a record fee of £113 million from Benfica but has failed to establish himself in the starting XI. Moreover, with the Rojiblancos in a spot of bother with respect to their finances, they are keen on offloading Felix, whose contract expires in 2026.
It was also reported earlier this month by 90min that Felix had been offered to a number of sides by his agent Jorge Mendes. And the source is now reporting that Arsenal and Manchester United have opened formal talks with the representative to discuss a possible loan move in January.
The Premier League duo have expressed their interest in getting a deal done but 90min says Arsenal and United will face further competition as Chelsea are also showing a keen interest in signing Felix.
The Gunners recently lost Gabriel Jesus to a knee injury while Chelsea’s Armando Broja has suffered a season-ending knee injury. Therefore, the London clubs are keen on boosting their attack this winter. United, on the other hand, terminated Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract during the World Cup and manager Erik ten Hag has openly pushed the club to sign an attacker next month.
The idea is to sign Felix on a loan deal and then buy him next summer but Atleti are looking to recover most of the £113 million they splashed to buy him three years ago. According to the report, Atletico want around £100m to sell Felix on a permanent basis, and understandably this is a problem for the likes of Arsenal and United.
Our View
Felix is a striker with great potential and it would be exciting to see him play under a manager like Mikel Arteta or Erik ten Hag. The Portuguese struggled under Simeone largely due to his defensive setup, not allowing Felix to get much of the ball. At Arsenal or Man Utd, Felix would have the opportunity to play in a more expressive attacking system that should suit his attributes far more.
United may have turned their attention to Felix after they have missed out on Cody Gakpo, who has been snapped up by Liverpool, and he’d be an terrific addition to ten Hag’s squad if they could win the race.
However, Arsenal will be an attractive proposition for the forward as they currently sit top of the table and Arteta is building an exciting young team in north London.
