Arsenal and Manchester United have formally expressed interest in signing Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix on loan in January, according to The Athletic.
The report further states that Atletico’s £18.6m price (€21m) will be a stumbling block for both Premier League clubs, with the Spaniard’s wanting a £13.3m loan fee plus Felix’s 5.3m salary covered in full.
Felix has reportedly fallen out with Atletico boss Diego Simeone and the La Liga club are prepared to sanction a loan move to England this winter.
Man Utd see the 23-year-old as a perfect replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo – who terminated his contract at Old Trafford prior to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Mikel Arteta also 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.
Eddie Nketiah is currently banging in the goals for Arsenal since domestic action resumed but the Gunners still want to add depth in the attacking department during the January transfer window.
Competition
Arsenal and Man Utd are not the only clubs keen on acquiring the services of Felix. Graham Potter’s Chelsea have also been linked with a move to sign the Portugal international, but the club is believed to prefer a more natural goalscorer.
Felix, who is now valued at just £43m [€50m] by Transfermarkt, is seen as a perfect fit for Arsenal 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.
However, Manchester United will provide stiff competition for his signature. Although it seems Atletico will need to lower their financial demands for a deal to be agreed with either English club this month.
He 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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