Portuguese forward Joao Felix continues to have little clarity on where he will be come September, with his future a complete mystery as things stand. This week he returned to Atletico Madrid to begin training with the Rojiblancos, but if either of Felix or Atletico get their way, he won’t be there come the end of the transfer window.
Rodrigo Riquelme’s banger against Numancia…
— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) July 27, 2024
On Saturday he removed Barcelona from his social media description, despite the Blaugrana having declared their intention to retain him publicly. Felix too is believed to be keen on a return to Catalonia, but as the transfer window progresses, he continues to slide down their list of priorities, and it looks as if he will be a last-minute operation if they can afford him once again.
João Félix has changed his Instagram profile, and has removed information related to FC Barcelona. pic.twitter.com/ndO9z7NMjd
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) July 27, 2024
Benfica’s interest has been well-reported, but without looking like securing the green light from the 24-year-old, but Aston Villa may stand a better chance of signing him. Unai Emery is reportedly a fan, and Fabrizio Romano has reported that their interest in Felix is strong, but that they are yet to send an offer to Atletico for him.
🟣🔵 There’s nothing done yet between Aston Villa and Atlético Madrid for João Félix despite reports.
Villa want João, Unai Emery’s pushing as revealed last week but there’s still no formal proposal to Atlético.
Strong interest, early stages. pic.twitter.com/NrWUr0qN7X
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 27, 2024
It looks once again as if Felix’s future will extend into August before it is resolved. Atletico will be keen to get him off their books, but as time progresses, their negotiating position will only get weaker. His large salary, combined with little love for him from manager Diego Simeone or his fanbase has made him persona non grata at the Metropolitano, and his presence does not look beneficial for any of the parties involved.
Felix has nobody but himself to blame for his poor potential to move somewhere to his liking. His only attribute is his “potential” . . . which, from time to time, he flashes. But his unwillingness to put in the consistent effort and runs to be open in dangerous positions where he can receive service and score, detracts from his value. There is a reason Simeone is done with him after giving Felix many chances. Real Betis would be an excellent opportunity for him to redeem himself, but only if he was willing to take a much lower salary and Atletico were willing to write off a loss on the transfer fee.