- 14 hours ago
The clubs that MUST look to sign Barcelona flop Joao Felix
Jacque Talbot
- Updated: 5 Jul 2024 14:45 BST
- 4 min read
Joao Felix is now back at Atletico Madrid following his tenure at Barcelona - but Aston Villa are among the clubs who must look to sign him.
FootballTransfers revealed on Thursday that Benfica are increasingly confident that they can complete a deal to re-sign the most expensive player ever bought by a Spanish club, but the attacker should keep his options open.
However, another club that we reported were keen are Unai Emery's Villa, with the Spaniard being an admirer of the 24-year-old.
READ MORE: Premier League summer transfers 2024 - All the Done Deals
Felix joined Diego Simeone’s side from his boyhood club Benfica back in 2019 for a €127.2 million fee - which was then the fourth-highest transfer fee in history.
The move hasn’t worked out for the Portugal international, owing to a tumultuous relationship with the Argentine coach.
Felix signed a seven-year contract upon his arrival in the Spanish capital but had to endure loan moves in successive seasons after his relationship with Simone began to deteriorate about four years ago.
Current ETV
João Félix
F (L)
Barcelona
João Félix
F (L)
Barcelona
ETV Range
€37.2M - €62M
Chelsea brought Felix in on loan for the second half of the 2022/23 season but ultimately opted against making the deal permanent after receiving a red card on his debut and failing to live up to the mark.
Last season, Joao Felix completed a dream move to Barcelona, albeit on loan, and renewed his Atletico deal for another two seasons.
He scored 10 goals in 44 matches overall for the Blaugrana but slipped down Xavi’s pecking order.
Indeed, SciSports puts Villa at a '74' club fit according to its career tool - with RB Leipzig being the highest, with an 84 club fit.
The analytical database also says that Villa would offer a five-star rating in potential development.
Joao Felix to leave Atletico Madrid?
“The club will do whatever Simeone wants including get rid of Joao Felix,” Spanish football expert Guillem Balague tells The Transfers Podcast.
“He doesn't want him back. Joao Felix doesn't want to go back to Atletico Madrid either.
“I'm also hearing that he will wait perhaps a little bit longer to see if anybody else approaches him and that going back to Portugal may seem like a step back.
“It actually could be a place where he can recover some of his confidence, project some of his talent and maybe with the lessons of the last few years find some kind of consistency.”
Benfica are offering an initial €32.5 million for 50 percent of Joao Felix’s future transfer rights. The deal would be a full transfer but Atletico would be entitled to 50 percent of the return of his next move.
It was written in the stars, wasn’t it 😉
Joao Felix scores for Barcelona against his parent club Atletico Madrid… and celebrates! ⚽️pic.twitter.com/QsuMBITgpY— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) December 3, 2023
Felix is taking his time to decide with Villa one of the other clubs who have expressed an interest in taking him on board.
Having sorted out their financial issues, Villa appear to have the headroom required to make the signing this summer.
“They could be a competitor for Benfica and that may be a more attractive move to Felix,” Duncan Castles tells The Transfers Podcast.
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