Enrique Cerezo, the Atletico Madrid President, has said he expects Joao Felix to stay at the club past the end of January despite interest from elsewhere and a souring relationship with manager Diego Simeone.
Felix has been heavily linked with Manchester United, with Atleti believed to have demanded a £9.5 million loan fee with a £70m commitment to buy clause, with Arsenal also believed to be interested.
United’s interest is so strong that they have refused to offer fellow target Wout Weghorst the number seven in preparation for Felix’s potential arrival.
Cerezo was less confident of a move for the the 23-year-old. In quotes carried by the Manchester Evening News, he said: ‘Nothing is impossible in life, but the normal thing is that Joao Felix stays at Atletico Madrid.’
Felix arrived in Madrid for a huge £113 million in 2019 and has had some excellent moments for the club, but his relationship with Simeone is believed to have soured following disagreements over his playtime.
Atleti CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin has admitted the pair do not see eye to eye, as he told TVE last month: ‘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 if there’s a reasonable option that’s good for the player, good for the club, we can look at it. I’d love for Joao to continue, but this is the current situation.’
Whatever his current club’s intentions, United will be desperate to secure the Portuguese star’s signature as soon as possible.
They are yet to replace Cristiano Ronaldo after his controversial exit last year, and are keen to bring in a big-name forward as they continue their mid-season resurgence.