Chelsea and Manchester United are now reportedly the favourites to sign Atletico Madrid star Joao Felix, with Arsenal also in the race for the Portuguese international.
According to Marca, the Premier League duo showing the greatest interest in signing Felix, who Atletico are eager to offload in January as Chelsea and United lead the race to land the 23-year-old, with the attacker already lighting up the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Portugal.
The youngster was on the scoresheet in the European giants’ 3-2 win against Ghana. Yet despite impressing in Qatar, Atletico are desperate to sell Felix in January, with Diego Simeone falling out of favour with the former Benfica wonderkid.
Signed in 2019 for a reported £113m, Felix has failed to hit the heights many expected the youngster to reach at Atletico. And now, an exit from Madrid is on the cards for the Portugal superstar, with Chelsea and United leading the race to sign the attacker.
As per GiveMeSport, though, Arsenal are also in the race to sign Felix, though based on this recent update from Marca, Chelsea and United’s interest in the 23-year-old is much greater than Mikel Arteta’s, even with the Basque manager set to add to his attack in the January window.
Indeed, given what Arteta wants in the market, Felix doesn’t tick many boxes that Arsenal are looking for. Moreover, Atletico’s financial demands will likely put the Gunners completely off a deal, unlike Chelsea or United, who are yet to realise how risky a transfer this could potentially be.
Felix signing for Chelsea or Manchester United will help Arsenal
Arsenal’s transfer business in the last 18 months has been some of the best in the Premier League, with Arteta landing on hit after hit in the market in a surge of deals that have transformed the club. And avoiding players such as Felix has been why the Gunners find themselves in the position they currently vacate in the Premier League.
After all, Felix is of course an outstanding talent. But for Chelsea and United, it’s clear for many fans and pundits that the Portuguese star wouldn’t fit either system given his style of play and recent record with Atletico, which is why Arsenal will likely steer clear of a deal.
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