Aheed Abrar
Aston Villa enter race for Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix amidst Manchester United interest
Manchester United will have to compete with Premier League rivals Aston Villa to sign Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid this summer, according to BirminghamLive (h/t Express).
The Red Devils are interested in signing the Portugal international in the ongoing transfer window to bolster their attack. However, now, the Villans are working on putting together a deal for the forward as well.
As things stand, Los Rojiblancos are looking to offload the 23-year-old after his falling out with Diego Simeone last season. While the Old Trafford side and Unai Emery’s team have the former SL Benfica star on their radar, Paris Saint-Germain have withdrawn from the race for now.
Villa have done very well since getting the former Villarreal and Arsenal manager in their dugout. The Birmingham-based club finished seventh in the English top flight last season and are set to play in the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Atletico signed Felix in the summer of 2019. In the Primeira Liga, the Portuguese had showcased immense potential. However, things have not worked out for him in La Liga so far.
In January, Chelsea got the 23-year-old on loan from Los Rojiblancos. The forward put in some impressive displays and did not look out of place in the PL.
At United, Erik ten Hag had to make do with a lack of quality in the number nine position for most of the 2022/23 term. In the Dutch manager’s first year in charge, Anthony Martial was injury-prone and hardly played.
As a result, in the previous transfer window, we added Wout Weghorst to our ranks temporarily from Burnley to provide cover up front. Now, we arguably need better investment in the attack.
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Felix is keen on playing Champions League football, something the Red Devils can offer. But whether the Old Trafford side will pursue the Portugal international this summer remains to be seen.
