According to Fichajes, Manchester City are among the clubs interested in the services of Joao Felix. The Atletico Madrid superstar is keen on leaving the club in the upcoming January transfer window after failing to establish himself under Diego Simeone. It has put multiple clubs across Europe on red alert, including Manchester City, with Pep Guardiola known to be a huge admirer of the Portuguese.
Joao Felix’s Struggles At Atletico Madrid
Joao Felix joined Atletico Madrid in 2019 for a fee of almost €130 million. It was a statement transfer from Atleti, who wanted to compete with Barcelona and Real Madrid for the Spanish title, especially after the departure of Antoine Griezmann.
However, two and a half years later, the decision to break the bank for Felix has haunted Los Colchoneros, as the player has struggled to live up to his type in Spain. During his 88 competitive appearances for the club, the forward has scored only 22 goals and now fallen behind in the pecking order under Simeone.
The Argentine’s tactical setup is not ideally suited for Felix, who is more of a technically oriented playmaker rather than an aggressive enforcer.
But the player has certainly lost his touch since his breakthrough at Benfica. He has lacked confidence in front of goal and the sharpness in the final third has not been there. As a result, the 22-year-old is now keen on leaving Atletico Madrid, in an attempt to redeem himself elsewhere.
The 4th Official uses images provided by the following image agency: Getty Images (https://www.gettyimages.de/) and Imago Images (https://www.imago-images.de/)
A Good Option For Manchester City?
Manchester City could be an ideal destination for Joao Felix, as he looks to take the next step in his career. As mentioned earlier, the Portuguese international is highly valued by Pep Guardiola, who is already on the lookout for a new striker who can replace Sergio Aguero for the long term.
Felix is not a conventional forward, but his ability to link-up the play in the final third, coupled with his dribbling prowess and tactical versatility, could make him an asset for a Manchester City who often play without a traditional number nine.
At the age of just 22, Felix has time on his side and could reinvent himself under the tactical leadership of Guardiola, making him an ideal coup for the English champions.
However, the former Benfica prodigy is likely to cost a fortune, as Atletico Madrid will look to recoup most of the €130 million they had spent on the player almost three seasons ago.
