In a recent report from Manchester Evening News, it was mentioned that Manchester United have high hopes of signing Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid in the summer. It is understood that the Portugal international is open to an exit from Wanda Metropolitano and several clubs including Chelsea are showing keen interest to sign him in January. The Red Devils will have to act sooner if they wish to bring him to Old Trafford.
Felix’s Impressive Campaign For Atletico Madrid
Joao Felix has produced some influential displays in the final third despite coming off the bench as a late substitute to impact the game. He has featured in 17 matches for the Spanish outfit this season, scoring three goals and creating three assists across multiple competitions.
The Viseu-born talent has had fewer minutes in comparison to last season which explains why is only averaging 1.6 shots, 0.7 key passes and 0.4 dribbles per game in La Liga. However, he has to figure out a way to improve his ball distribution as he has only completed 75.8% of his attempted passes in the top tier of Spanish football (stats via whoscored).
Should Graham Potter Bring Him To Chelsea In January?
Felix has made his presence felt in the final third on a number of occasions in the first half of this season despite coming off the bench. The Portuguese forward excels at creating a yard of space for himself using his pace and quickness. He has proven to be a prolific finisher in front of the opponent’s goal in the past and he doesn’t mind taking a shot at the goal from a distance.
The Portuguese international is primarily a centre-forward but remains versatile enough to fill in the left-wing position or play as an advanced attacking midfielder. We could see him bring more competition into the attacking department as he could add more firepower to the frontline at Old Trafford after fellow Portugal teammate Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure.
Felix has the potential to develop into an attacking threat if he puts in more work and focuses on being better. The 23-year-old will definitely grow over the next years if given enough play time for his development. This leaves Erik Ten Hag with the decision to bring him in and rotate players in the squad efficiently to make use of the attacking prowess.
However, the Red Devils will have to act faster as there remains heavy competition for a player with such quality. Chelsea are more than interested in his services and the Blues could very well hinder United’s plans by going for him in January as opposed to the Red Devils’ plan of signing him next summer.
