Manchester United are now planning to make another bid for Arsenal target Joao Felix after seeing an offer worth €125m (£110m) rejected by Atlético Madrid in the summer.
That is according to Cadena SER in Spain, who believe Erik ten Hag is set to make another move for the Portugal international in January, amid doubts over the future of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Manchester United plan bid for Arsenal target
Well, it was Paul Brown who told Give Me Sport that the Gunners are huge fans of Felix, and have tracked him for some time.
Now, both Manchester United and Arsenal sense a golden opportunity to sign the 23-year-old.
Atlético Madrid are in need of cash after surprisingly finishing bottom of Group B in the Champions League, which saw them crash out of Europe completely and lose out on significant revenue.
A separate story from Cadena SER claims Felix is one player who has been put up for sale by the Spanish side, along with Thomas Lemar, Rodrigo De Paul and Yannick Carrasco.
The Portuguese forward – who Atlético Madrid paid £113m for when signing him from Benfica in 2019 – is said to have fallen out with Diego Simeone, and would jump at the chance to leave the Wanda Metropolitano.
Felix has struggled to show his best form under the Argentine’s defensive style of play, scoring just three goals in 17 appearances so far this season.
Atlético Madrid will kick themselves
At the time, it seemed strange for Atlético Madrid to reject the £110m bid from Manchester United, as Felix was still struggling under Simeone last season as well – he scored only eight goals in La Liga.
Had the Spanish side accepted the offer, they wouldn’t find themselves worrying about their finances after dropping out of Europe whatsoever.
Now, Atlético Madrid are desperate for a significant sale, and those interested in Felix will know that, giving them plenty of power at the negotiating table.
In our view, it would be a surprise if a bid north of £60m went in for Felix now, given his form and the financial situation at Atlético Madrid – as a result, those at the Wanda Metropolitano will surely regret ignoring that £110m offer.
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