Arsenal may have to pay £50m to sign Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix
Arsenal may have to pay £50 million to land the signature of Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid this summer.
The Portugal international spent the recent campaign on loan with Barcelona. He struggled for regular playing time, but ended the season with 10 goals and six assists from 44 outings.
Felix has the desire to rejoin the Catalan giants on a permanent basis, but the Blaugrana can’t afford to sign him at the moment, considering the Financial Fair Play restrictions placed by La Liga.
As a result, the attacker has asked his representative to find him a new club before July 27, the day when he would have to report for pre-season training at Atletico under manager Diego Simeone.
According to Record (page 5), Felix’s former club Benfica want to secure 50 percent of his ownership rights for £17 million, but Atletico demand £25m to accept their proposal.
Hence, the La Liga club are practically looking for £50m for a complete sale.
Arsenal and Aston Villa are also attentive on Felix, but Unai Emery’s side are only prepared to sign him on loan. Atletico have no plans of considering another temporary move for Felix.
Arsenal should avoid move for Felix this summer
Felix has spent the last 18 months on loan with Chelsea and Barcelona respectively. He was on the radar of the Gunners in January 2023, but ended up signing for the Blues, who paid a significant loan fee.
The 24-year-old started off his Blues career in the worst fashion with a red card on debut. He struggled to impress on his return with just four goals from 20 appearances in all competitions.
Despite this, the Portuguese secured a lucrative move to Barcelona last summer. He had a good start to the campaign, but lost his starting spot in the back end as he became an impact substitute.
Felix averaged only 48 minutes per appearance. The £243,000 per week star showed glimpses of his quality, but his overall displays on the pitch were not convincing enough to warrant a starting role.
In our view, the Benfica graduate would not improve the Gunners’ attack from last season and the club should instead focus on pursuing a deal for Athletic Bilbao sensation Nico Williams.
Manager Mikel Arteta reportedly has him as a priority if Arsenal pursue a wide player. Williams can be signed for his £46 million release clause, but his wage demands are a possible roadblock.
However, he has proved his credentials and recently scored in the Euro 2024 final for Spain. He should provide value for money compared to Felix, who has failed to live up to his early potential.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
