Stevie Nicol says Martin Odegaard won’t be happy if Arsenal were to sign Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Joao Felix during the January transfer window, as he told ESPN.
The Anfield legend added that Felix, who has been linked with several Premier League clubs including Tottenham and Aston Villa, ‘doesn’t seem the right fit’ for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.
Gabriel Jesus’ injury has sparked a bit of an issue for those in north London because they need to cover their summer signing given his importance to the team, especially if he is out for the long-term.
Several names have been thrown about, including that of Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix, who is set to leave the club in January in order to get his career back on track.
But Nicol doesn’t think that the Emirates Stadium will be his destination as he feels the 23-year-old could probably take the place of captain, Odegaard.
“I don’t think Odegaard would be too happy, would he?” said Nicol. “It doesn’t seem the right fit. I like what they got going now.
“It’s unfortunate that Jesus is injured. But the whole thing that they got going now seems right. I think Joao Felix coming in could blow that up a little bit.”
FELIX SHOULD MOVE TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE
The Portugal international was a teenager when he joined Atletico Madrid for a big-money fee, and simply put, it hasn’t played out like anyone would have liked.
A player like Felix needs the correct system in order for his highly-technical game to work, and given how defensive and deep Diego Simeone plays, then it was never going to work for him at the Spanish giants, nor the player himself.
Either way, a move to the Premier League would be the correct step and the best step for Felix if he wants to take his career to the next level.
Arsenal and Arteta’s style would suit him down to the bone because he could play as that central striker and drop deep like Jesus does, or play a little deeper and showcase his ball-carrying ability.
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