Arsenal have entered the bidding with Manchester United to sign Atletico Madrid star Joao Felix in January, Spanish publication AS claim (today’s edition, page 12).
The Gunners are currently without Gabriel Jesus for around three months following his knee surgery and this could force them to pursue a new forward next month.
The likes of Memphis Depay and Mehdi Taremi have been linked in recent days and Sport report that the club are now in contention to land Felix from Atletico Madrid.
The Portuguese has fallen out-of-favour under manager Diego Simeone this term and he is determined to pursue a fresh challenge at the beginning of the New Year.
Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain are the main suitors for the player but it is now claimed that ‘Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal’ have entered the race with ‘force’.
Atletico Madrid are currently holding out for £86 million to part ways with Felix.
Arsenal should resist spending big on Joao Felix
Felix joined Atletico from Benfica for £113m three years ago. The 23-year-old was touted as the next big thing from Portugal but he has not lived up to the high expectations.
In his 129 appearances for the Spanish giants, he has managed only 51 goal contributions. A lot more is expected from a player, who cost a staggering fee as a teenager.
In our view, it does not appear worthwhile to spend £86m on Felix. The Portuguese has struggled for consistency. There are no assurances that his fortunes will change at Arsenal.
One possible solution for the Gunners could be to sign him on loan with a buy clause. This would be a risk-free investment for the club. Felix would have the chance to prove his credentials.
United and Paris Saint-Germain could also make similar proposals in January. It is highly unlikely that any club would be willing to meet the transfer demands of Atletico next month.
