If a report by HITC is to be believed then Premier League side Aston Villa are willing to break the bank to try and land Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix who is also a major target for FC Barcelona.
Felix’s career graph has gone flat in recent seasons and last campaign, he was sent on loan to Barcelona where he scored 10 and assisted six goals in 44 games for the club. Joao Felix has now returned to Atletico for the time being but it is almost certain that he has no future at his parent club.
Atleti are now ready to cash in on him permanently this summer and it looks like Aston Villa are willing to spend more than €60 million to try and bring Joao Felix to Villa Park. However, Unai Emery has a major challenge on his hands because Barcelona are said to be keen to bring the Portugal international back to Camp Nou, this time on a permanent move.
Will Joao Felix choose Villa over FC Barcelona?
Joao Felix is no stranger to the Premier League because he spent a loan spell with Chelsea, featuring in 20 games across all competitions for the Blues.
However, his time at Stamford Bridge was not even close to being a success which is why we think, the 24-year-old will not be too keen to return to England any time soon.
Also, most major sources in Spain have been claiming that Felix has his heart set on a return to Barca and he is even ready to wait for the Blaugrana so that they have time to gather the required funds.
We highly doubt if Barca will be able to match Aston Villa’s valuation of around €60 million but at the same time, Villa will massively struggle to meet Felix’s current wages. The 24-year-old currently earns almost €300,000 per week at Atletico while Villa’s current highest earners get around €179,000 per week.
Aston Villa might have the finances as well as Champions League football to try and go after Joao Felix but they are way down the pecking order. Unless Barcelona officially make it clear that they won’t be able to bring back Joao Felix, Unai Emery’s side just do not stand a chance.
Even then, Villa might not be the favourites because some rumours suggest that Atletico Madrid are ready to send the Portugal international out on loan for one more season, this time with an obligation to buy next year. If this is true then it’s a blessing for Barcelona who are running short of cash this transfer window.
