Arsenal have reportedly been in contact with Jorge Mendes over the potential signing of Joao Felix, with Atletico Madrid setting a €140m (£120m) asking price for the Portuguese superstar.
According to Relevo, the north London side are one of numerous clubs to be in discussions with the super-agent over the 23-year-old attacker, with Bayern Munich, Chelsea and PSG also contacting Mendes over Felix, who looks set to leave Atletico in January.
The youngster has been one of the best players at the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Portugal, with Felix this week bagging two assists in a 6-1 win against Switzerland in what was one of the most outstanding performances of the entire competition.
And as a result, interest is now spiking in Felix, much to the enjoyment of Atletico, who are desperate to offload the former Benfica star as Diego Simeone’s side look set to sell many top players in January in what could be the club’s biggest squad overhaul in years.
Now, Arsenal seem to be well in the race to sign Felix, with the report stating that Gabriel Jesus’ injury has shifted Mikel Arteta’s transfer plans entirely. Yet at £120m, the Gunners would be making a huge mistake in signing the 23-year-old forward.
Whilst there are good arguments to be made that Felix is exactly the sort of player Arsenal should be looking at, throwing so much money to solve a three-month issue would be a major waste on Arteta’s part, even more so when you consider where the Portuguese youngster would even fit in the Basque manager’s tactical plans.
Arsenal will be making a huge error signing Felix in January
Felix is without question one of the most talented players in all of Europe, with the attacker showing this winter in Qatar what he is capable of when playing in a side that plays to his strengths and lets him run wild with his incredible creative qualities. However, for Arsenal, the Portuguese star is the last thing Arteta needs.
After all, a short-term replacement for Jesus in January should be someone who can come in on the cheap and fall into the background when the Brazilian returns to full fitness. And Felix simply doesn’t fit this category of player, with the attacker someone who can be the star of the show of their team away from north London.
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