Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery are both said to be interested in bringing Joao Felix to Arsenal and Aston Villa respectively.
The Portugal international is up for sale after his relationship with Diego Simeone broke down at Atlético Madrid, amid a claim from Give Me Sport that Arsenal have tracked the £113m forward for years, and are huge admirers.
Now, however, Emery could be about to cause a major upset at the Emirates Stadium.
What’s the story?
Well, by the sounds of it, Arsenal have been waiting for an opportunity like this, amid years of tracking Felix.
Therefore, a story from MARCA in Spain, which states that Aston Villa now lead the race to sign the 23-year-old, will frustrate Arteta.
The Spanish news outlet believe the Villans are well placed to sign Felix, and Gil Marin – CEO of Atlético Madrid and the man who publicly put the striker up for sale – is currently in negotiations with Aston Villa over a deal.
Jorge Mendes – who represents the Portuguese sensation – is also pushing to get his client in the Premier League.
By all accounts, Aston Villa have a very good chance of signing Felix.
If the deal happens, Arsenal will be furious with the man they sacked in 2019, having already done plenty of homework on the Atlético Madrid No.7 in recent years.
Arsenal & Aston Villa face huge Joao Felix fee
As aforesaid, Felix cost Atlético Madrid £113m when signing him from Benfica in 2019.
The Spanish giants are not expecting to recoup all of that sum, although they would like £86m – according to The Times.
That is a significant fee for Arsenal and Aston Villa to shell out, although Felix definitely has the ability to make it look like a bargain within a year or two.
It should not be forgotten that he was being mentioned in the same breath as Kylian Mbappe before things turned sour at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Be sure to keep an eye on this situation, as it would be a phenomenal capture by Aston Villa if a deal materialised.
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