Man Utd ready to rekindle Joao Felix interest but face three-way fight

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 23 May 2023 08:46 CDT
• 3 min read

Manchester United have been tipped to move for Atletico Madrid star Joao Felix during the January transfer window.

An unnamed Premier League side are one of three clubs interested in the Portugal international attacker, with PSG and Bayern Munich also on the lookout for the 22-year-old star, according to a report from AS.

The Spanish source believes, however, that Man Utd are the other club interested in a deal for a player FootballTransfers values at €62 million.

Joao Felix is now undesirable at Atleti, with the young forward struggling to cope mentally with what is being asked of him by Diego Simeone. He has reportedly asked to leave the club three times, with his relationship with the coach having deteriorated after falling to fifth choice in the club’s pecking order, featuring for only 37 minutes in the last six games.

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Who wants to sign Joao Felix?

PSG, it is stated, have already been in contact with the player’s representatives over a possible move and are seeking to find a solution that will take him to France this January.

For the Ligue 1 club and Bayern, this represents an opportunity to revisit a transfer target both had set their eyes on in the summer. Both clubs need a centre-forward, with Kylian Mbappe seeking to play elsewhere at PSG and Bayern simply without a high-quality option in that area.

Similarly, it is logical to think that Manchester United are chasing a similar type of player, with AS reporting they had an offer of €130m knocked back in the summer. Manager Erik ten Hag already wanted a No.9 in the summer to add to his ranks, and with Cristiano Ronaldo’s behaviour becoming increasingly erratic, that need has only increased ahead of January.

A transfer during the January transfer window, though, appears to be complicated. Atleti insisted that for Felix to move in the summer, a club would have to match his €350m release clause – more than €100m greater than the biggest transfer fee ever – with their desire to keep him until 2023.

Joao Felix moved to Atletico Madrid in 2019 as a replacement for Antoine Griezmann, with the Spanish side splashing out €126m to sign him from Benfica. The return has been modest, with 29 goals and 18 assists in 123 games.