Pranav Nair
Manchester United eye Joao Felix as an alternative to Harry Kane and Erling Haaland
According to Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo (h/t Express), Manchester United made a ‘great offer’ to land Atletico Madrid star Joao Felix. It has however been rebuffed by the La Liga champions.
The Portuguese wonderkid joined the Spaniards to much fanfare in 2019. One of the brightest talents across Europe, he has failed to develop as expected at the Wanda Metropolitano. Still just 21, he has time on his side to turn his fortunes around and emerge as a key player for the Spanish champions.
United are in the market for a striker and are eyeing Felix as an option. The likes of both Erling Haaland and Harry Kane feature on the Red Devils’ wishlist but neither player will come cheap this summer. This has forced the club to look for alternatives, one of them being Felix.
The Red Devils have already extended Edinson Cavani’s contract and have the deal for Jadon Sancho all but wrapped up. Given the amount spent on the latter, it is debatable if United will also go big for Felix this summer.
Both Kane and Haaland could be easier to sign next summer. The English skipper will have just two years left on his current deal while Haaland’s £64m release clause will kick in. This could, however, also attract other interested parties meaning we will have more competition to contend with.
One cannot fault United for not putting all their eggs in few baskets. Losing out on either Kane or Haaland is not the end of the world as long as we bring in the right players. Whether Felix is that striker remains to be seen.
Atletico, meanwhile, do not appear to be in any mood to let the player go. With Luis Suarez not getting any younger, they will need to ensure Felix is ready to take the spotlight in a year or two’s time. The Spaniards spent a mammoth £97m to land the player two years ago, an amount that should reflect the belief they have in his promise.
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Securing Felix will ensure United has one more extremely talented player in their midst. This augurs well for a side that is looking to rebuild their dynasty as the Premier League’s foremost team. Whether that is a scenario that will come to fruition remains to be seen.
