Aston Villa are ready to open talks with Atletico Madrid for Joao Felix. The 24-year-old has been told that his time at Madrid is over and he will therefore be seeking a new club.
According to Duncan Castles (The Sunday times) Villa hold a significant interest in Felix and it is believed that teaming up with Unai Emery is something that he may be interested in doing. It is believed that there is 'a good regard' between Emery and Felix and now the Villa boss would like to add Felix to a squad needing Champions League quality. Speaking back in 2019, ex-Benfica and Portugal striker Rui Costa said:
""He has an extraordinary understanding of the game and the rare ability to know where to be in front of goal. He is the new Kaka""
It was only five years ago that Felix signed for Atletico Madrid for an incredible £114 million from Benfica and now it is understood Atletico are willing to let the player go for as little as £12.7 million. Felix failed to live up to the high expectations that came with such a price tag and subsequently was loaned out to Chelsea and Barcelona in the last two years.
The relationship between Felix and Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone is a fractured one and it is highly unlikely that he will be part of the clubs plans going forward. It was believed that when he signed for Atletico that Felix would quickly become one of the best players in the world. However, struggles to settle at the club and the movement between clubs and countries as a result has meant that he has fallen out of favour and will be looking to reignite his career elsewhere.
Felix spent last season on loan at Barcelona and impressed during his time there. He scored 10 goals and produced 6 assists across 44 games for the club. Barcelona chief executive Joan Laporta and manager Deco have both stated they wished for Felix to sign for the club on a permanent basis but the financial restraints on Barcelona meant a deal could not be possible.
As someone who has Premier League experience under his belt, albeit not too much of it, a move to Villa could be the perfect solution for Felix. He knows Emery is a manager that will get the best out of him and take him to the next level and he will be playing in the Champions League. Despite a frustrating time at Atletico, at only 24-years-old Felix still has many years ahead of him to fulfil his huge potential.
However, if Villa were to pursue their interest in Felix then they are going to have to beat rivals to his signature such as Benfica. Benfica are very keen to re-sign Felix and a move back to Portugal for the Portuguese international is certainly a possible move.
Now that the worries around PSR are behind the club, Villa would have more freedom to spend this summer and adding elite level quality like that of Joao Felix would be a marquee signing for the team.
UTV