Manchester United continue to be linked with Atletico Madrid ace Joao Felix as Spanish club reject massive transfer bid last year
According to Goal (h/t The Sun), Atletico Madrid rejected a massive transfer bid for Portugal star Joao Felix last year from a Premier League club, amidst rumours that Manchester United were interested in the forward before his eventual move to La Liga.
Felix moved to Atletico in 2019 in a sensational £126m transfer from Benfica as one of the world’s most expensive teenagers, despite several top clubs chasing his signature that summer. Such was the talent that the forward possessed that the Spanish club broke the bank for him.
Amongst the clubs interested in Felix in the summer of 2019 was United, but the Premier League giants were unable to convince the Portuguese star to swap his native homeland for England. It is unclear whether his hefty price tag was a reason for the Red Devils not pushing actively for a move.
No one knows for sure who this unnamed Premier League side who attempted to sign Felix last year was, although United are not the only club to be considered. It is said that Arsenal too have a massive interest in the Atletico man, with the club keen on signing an attacker to add to their ranks.
Failed summer transfer
It is said that a third party on behalf of the unnamed PL club approached Atletico about a move for the Portuguese youngster at the end of last season, but the La Liga champions rejected the move. After all, the club had just won the Spanish league title at the time, and Felix played a starring role in their campaign.
It is said that the Spanish title holders rejected a whopping £136m bid for the 22-year-old from a Premier League club last year, and given United’s previous interest in the player, there can be no surprises as to why the Manchester club could be considered to be the ones to make an approach.
Given that the Old Trafford side were, and still are, in the market for a young striker, there may be little surprise about United being touted to be the club who made the whopping transfer bid for Felix the previous summer.
The side only has Edinson Cavani and Cristiano Ronaldo as their senior strikers at the moment, and with both stars being in their late 30s, it is unclear how long the pair will be able to play up front for the club given the physical toll the Premier League, like many other top leagues, takes on a player.
Felix showed the Red Devils exactly what they were missing, as he scored a fabulous diving header against them in the first leg of the Round of 16 tie in the Champions League, which finished 1-1 at the end to set up an evenly poised second leg at Old Trafford next month.
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The former Benfica man is still only 22, and already gaining fans across Europe with his excellent displays in Spain. If United were indeed the ones to make the bid for him last summer, then fans would perhaps hope our interest doesn’t die down in him so quickly.
Ronaldo and Cavani are ageing, while Anthony Martial’s loan move to Sevilla indicates where exactly he stands in the pecking order at Old Trafford. With Mason Greenwood’s suspension from the club, perhaps a young striker is the need of the hour for the Red Devils.
