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Arsenal have officially been confirmed to be in the running to sign Portugal international João Felix from Atlético Madrid.
THE LOWDOWN: TIME UP AT ATLETICO
Felix joined Los Rojiblancos in 2019 on a club record £108 million transfer from Benfica where he was courted by most of the top sides in European football. Despite the promise held, he has failed to live up to the billing thanks to him being a poor for for Diego Simeone’s style of play.
The LaLiga club are now ready to cut their losses and have put him up for sale. It is understood, however, that they are also open to a loan spell for the rest of the season as they plot ways to move him on from the club.
Arsenal, along with Manchester United and a few other clubs have declared interest in Felix but Atlético’s asking price is proving to be a problem, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein.
THE LATEST: PRICE PROVING TO BE AN OBSTACLE
Ornstein reports that the Spanish club want around €15 million in loan fees and for the loanee club to take charge of Felix’s €6 million wage for the duration of the loan. Their asking price for a full transfer is not clear but is suspected to be around €80 million.
Ornstein reports that the Gunners – alongside Manchester United who are the other club as serious as Arsenal for this transfer – will only pursue Felix’s signing if Atlético bring down their asking price or their loan fees.
Arsenal are currently dealing with his representatives and will only make am offer to Atlético if they agree to a cut-price deal for Felix, whose first World Cup outing at the just concluded Qatar 2022 tournament was impressive.
The Gunners are also believed to be in pole position to sign Felix if it comes down to the Portugal international making a decision on who to join. He is said to have developed a close friendship with Thomas Partey from their time at Atlético and the Ghana midfielder could convince him to play at the Emirates.
THE VERDICT: TOO EXPENSIVE TO BARGAIN WITH
Arsenal’s primary target remains Mykhaylo Mudryk while they would rather bring in Felix on loan. His transfer is currently on the table thanks to the absence of Gabriel Jesus, who picked up an unfortunate long-term injury at the World Cup in Qatar.
Felix, however, is not a striker. He operates best when he’s allowed to roam around the box. Jesus has these qualities but his first instinct is to get into goal-scoring areas because he is a striker.
Arteta could see a clash of roles with Martin Ødegaard if the Felix signing goes through. But it remains an interesting prospect for the Gunners, who are currently having the best run in their clubs modern history.
