Journalist Ben Jacobs has given his verdict on Manchester United’s pursuit of Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix.
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs stated that the club are ‘in the conversation’ for the Portuguese star. However, he stated that the club may have to weigh up whether the deal is worth pursuing compared to other ‘cost-effective options’.
As well as the Red Devils, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are also interested in the player, according to 90min. The same source also states that the clubs would be initially entertaining an initial loan move for the player.
However, The Athletic claims that Felix’s agent is pushing him to consider a potential move to Aston Villa.
Jacobs stated: “With Manchester United, who are also in the conversation for Joao Felix, the Glazers talking about potential ownership changes and/or investment.
“And on top of that, the fact that they spent a lot more money than they planned for in the summer, and then the fact that the fee is so high, all adds up to the Glazers really having to over-invest in Erik ten Hag and Manchester United in January with a budget under Financial Fair Play that they simply may not have.
“And that’s when you have to start balancing whether it’s affordable and if it’s worth it compared to other more cost-effective options in the market that might allow a club like Manchester United or Arsenal to do a two-for-one if they choose to move in January.”
TIF Thoughts on Jacobs’ comments…
We believe that Atletico should look to consider a loan move for Felix in January, as it seems unlikely their asking price could be met next month.
When the 23-year-old completed a move to the Spanish capital, Atletico paid Benfica £113m for his services. With that in mind, you’d suspect that they’d want a fee in a similar region. Although, he does have a £300m release clause.
Felix, who has been hailed as a ‘beautiful’ player, has 51 goal contributions in 129 appearances for the Spanish side. Whilst it’s not a bad return, it doesn’t seem to justify the whopping price tag that was paid for him. A loan move could help Man United determine whether he fits their system and is worthy of such an expensive fee.
There’s no doubt there’s a player in there, as Felix shone when he was at Benfica. He provided 31 goal involvements for the Portuguese side in just 43 games.
It seems will be a lot of competition for the player, so Man United may have to act quickly if they’re to land Felix in any capacity during the January transfer window.