How Man Utd could line up with Joao Felix
Suraj Radia
- 20 Oct 2022 17:02 BST
- 4 min read
Manchester United could be the most likely destination for Joao Felix, with the Atletico Madrid forward reportedly keen on leaving the club in January.
Felix’s underwhelming form has seen him relegated to the bench by Diego Simeone in recent weeks and the 22-year-old is said to be furious at the treatment, even showcasing his frustrations on the sidelines and on social media.
United had made an approach for Felix during the summer and it is believed they could reignite their interest if the Portuguese international is allowed to leave Atletico in the coming months.
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Should United pull off the signing, how would they line up with Felix in their current state?
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A change in role for Felix at United
United’s team has certainly been in a period of transition since the arrival of Erik ten Hag in April and wholesale changes will likely continue, with a host of key players out of contract next summer.
David de Gea is a player who United retain a 12-month option on but they may let the 31-year-old leave when his deal expires in 2023 in order to get his high wages off the bill, although he is still their number one goalkeeper in the meantime.
Ten Hag’s defence has also settled, with Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane keeping Harry Maguire out the team, while Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw – both also out of contract with options in the summer – appearing to nail down the wing-back positions.
Casemiro is finally proving why United splashed £70 million on him during the summer and he will likely partner the creative Christian Eriksen in midfield, despite the impressive form of Fred and Scott McTominay.
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The front four will likely be where the signing of Felix will impact United’s line-up, with Ten Hag often fielding a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 featuring Bruno Fernandes as a number 10 or as an attacking CM.
That could be an issue for Felix, who has previously spoken of his preferred role behind the striker, but the former Benfica man is versatile enough to play up front or as a left-winger.
Antony will almost certainly retain his right-wing spot, with the £85m man likely to keep out Jadon Sancho after beginning life at Old Trafford with three goals in his first five league games.
Marcus Rashford has returned to goalscoring form this season but the 25-year-old plays his best football cutting inside from the left as opposed to the striker role he has often played this season.
As a result, Felix would likely feature as a striker under Ten Hag, a position he scored from against United during Atletico’s last-16 Champions League games last season.
Felix has only netted 29 goals since joining Atletico for £113m in 2019 and his goalscoring credentials may be unconvincing to his case as a striker but his all-around play should help United succeed.
Rashford may still be relied on as United’s goalscorer but Felix’s intelligent runs and deeper play will allow the England international to potentially replicate the form which saw him net grab 17 goals from the left-wing in the 2019-20 season.
While Felix may not be a like-for-like replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo, he will naturally draw comparisons to his Portuguese compatriot as the heir to his throne both for his country and potentially at Old Trafford.
