Joao Felix to Aston Villa: Emery to benefit from Barcelona's misery

Cameron Smith

• 22 Jul 2024 14:30 BST
• 4 min read

Aston Villa are lining up a move for Atletico Madrid outcast Joao Felix as they prepare for Moussa Diaby’s imminent departure.

Diaby, 24, only joined Unai Emery’s side from Bayer Leverkusen last summer, but he is on the verge of becoming the latest big-name star to seal a Saudi Pro League payday.

Villa have already added Jaden Philogene, Samuel Iling-Junior and Cameron Archer to their attack this summer, while Morgan Rogers will look to build on a promising start following his January move from Middlesbrough.

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However, Aston Villa are also looking to sign Atleti forward Felix as they prepare for life in the Champions League.

Villa’s interest in the Portuguese international was first revealed by The Transfers Podcast, in conjunction with FootballTransfers. We understand that Benfica are hoping to re-sign Felix this summer, but face significant competition from Aston Villa.

Interest from Emery’s side has now been relayed by The Sun, with news of Felix’s potential move to Villa Park picking up traction.

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Joao Felix to Aston Villa?

Although he has endured a tricky time since moving to Spain, Felix remains a talented player and he fits into Emery’s current system.

The Aston Villa boss favours a 4-4-2 system and this frequently meant that Diaby, Leon Bailey or even John McGinn were required to play next to Ollie Watkins last season.

If Felix arrives, he would perfectly slot into a second striker role - by far his best position.

The defensive solidity provided by Boubacar Kamara and likely McGinn would allow Felix to express himself in the final third and although he has been inconsistent over the past few years, there’s a reason he cost over €120 million as a teenager.

Felix needs a place to rediscover his best form and Villa Park could be that place.

His Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) stands at just under €50m and while Atletico are asking for €60m, according to Marca, there’s a chance they could be persuaded to accept a lower fee.

For that price, Villa would be taking a substantial risk, given Felix’s form over the past few seasons, but it could be a risk worth taking.

In Watkins, Villa have an output machine and his reliability, in regards to fitness, form and finishing, means they can afford to have a more luxury player next to him.

Data analytics experts SciSports believe he has the potential to become a key player for Aston Villa, while his tally of seven goals and four assists in 30 LaLiga appearances on loan at Barcelona last season was decent.

Felix is undoubtedly inconsistent and his asking price is huge for a player who is yet to notch more than eight goals in a single European top five league season.

However, he is clearly talented and Villa’s system looks as though it will fit him perfectly. With a manager as talented as Emery at the helm, a move to the Midlands could help resurrect Felix’s career and Villa could land a gem in the process.