Atletico CEO confirms club are ‘looking into’ selling Portugal star Joao Felix
Felix #Felix
WHAT HAPPENED? Atletico splashed out €126 million (£113m/$142m) to sign Felix in the summer of 2019 but the forward has struggled to live up to his lofty price tag and his time at the club could be coming to an end. Marin has admitted the forward’s relationship with manager Diego Simeone has broken down and Atletico would consider a sale if an acceptable offer arrives.
WHAT THEY SAID: “[Joao Felix] is the biggest bet this club has taken in its history. I personally think he’s a top talent, a world class player,” he told TVE. “For reasons it isn’t worth getting into – the relationship between him and the boss [Simeone], the minutes played, his motivation right now – it makes you think that the reasonable thing is that if there’s an option that’s good for the player, good for the club, we can look at it. I’d love him to stay personally, but I don’t think that’s the player’s idea.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Marin’s comments are likely to alert a host of clubs to the availability of Felix ahead of the January transfer window. The 23-year-old has only scored three league goals this season for Atletico but has a goal and two assists for Portugal so far at the World Cup.
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WHAT NEXT FOR JOAO FELIX? The forward is part of the Portugal squad who will face Morocco in the quarter-finals of the World Cup on Saturday
