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Atletico Madrid want £124million to allow Joao Felix to leave for good in the summer transfer window, according to a new report.
The Portuguese attacker is currently on loan at Chelsea – but, crucially, the Premier League side do not hold an option-to-buy upon its expiry.
Now, Mundo Deportivo report that Atletico have Felix, their all-time record buy, valued at £124m, or else he is set to stay in the Spanish capital.
Felix and Atletico boss Diego Simeone have seen their relationship deteriorate in the past 12 months and the MD report goes on to add that should Simeone remain in charge, Felix has no intention of staying with Atletico.
Atletico, who are sitting fourth in LaLiga right now, 18 points adrift of leaders Barcelona, are said to be planning ahead for next season, but much hinges on whether Felix stays or goes.
It had proven to be an inconsistent campaign for Atletico earlier this season, with Felix registering four goals and three assists in 14 LaLiga appearances.
Issues with Simeone saw a need for a January loan, particularly after Felix impressed in Qatar for Portugal at the World Cup.
GOALAtletico chief executive Miguel Angel Gil admitted as much back in December, too.
Speaking on his way to Dubai for La Liga’s General Assembly Gil was very matter-of-fact when he told Spanish television TVE: ‘He [Felix] is the biggest investment the club has ever made and I think he is at the highest level in the world in terms of talent but for reasons that are not worth going into now – the relationship with the coach, the number of minutes he is playing, his motivation – the reasonable thing is that if there is an offer that is good for the player and the club, that we at least analyse it. I would love him to continue, but that is not the player’s idea.’
Prior to joining Chelsea on loan it was confirmed that Felix extended his contract by one year, taking his deal with Atletico through until June 2027.
Felix joined Atletico for £114m in 2019 and the Spanish side are eager to make a profit, it is reported, in a bid to freshen up their squad come the summer.
Simeone looks unmovable, despite struggles this season, and Felix could be holding out futile hope of the manager being disposed of upon his return from Chelsea.
In his first season there was an incident in an away game at Granada where Simeone put Felix on as a second half substitute and told him to play through the middle with Alvaro Morata.
He then threw on B-team centre-forward Dario Poveda and wanted Joao to move out wide. He didn’t, and Simeone spent several minutes screaming at him from the touchline to change positions as the player kept his back to the technical area turning a deaf ear to the instructions.
It has not been an ideal start to life at Chelsea for Felix, having been sent off after 57 minutes of his debut against Fulham.
That sending off for a rash challenge has meant he’s had a watching brief from the stands in the win over Crystal Palace and the draws to Liverpool and Fulham.
Source:Daily Mail