Three days ago, Marca explained Aston Villa could bet on Atlético Madrid’s João Félix. On Tuesday, AS reported Unai Emery is pushing the Premier League side to sign him this summer.
The forward’s relationship with Diego Simeone has deteriorated, resulting in him going out on loan for the last 18 months.
Félix was at Barcelona last season, and they aren’t willing to make a big effort to bring him back to the Camp Nou.
That’s according to Sport, who state Aston Villa are ‘already negotiating’ with Atlético to sign him. The clubs could reach an agreement if the Villans offer a ‘high figure’, probably around €50m demanded by Atlético.
It’s claimed the 24-year-old is an ‘express request’ of Emery, more so after the English club sold Moussa Diaby to Al-Ittihad on Wednesday.
There have been claims of Aston Villa’s interest in Barca’s Raphinha, but Sport say Emery is prioritising a deal for the Portugal international. He’s scheduled to return to the Madrid club for pre-season training next week, which is something both parties want to avoid.
Aston Villa are aware of the former Benfica star’s situation at Atlético and that makes him a market opportunity. They want to take advantage of it and avoid paying a ‘high price’, to meet the €50m fee requested by Los Rojiblancos.
Sport say ‘talks are underway’, likely between Emery’s side and Atlético, and the operation could take shape soon if Aston Villa were to convince both Félix and his club.
This feels a little optimistic from Sport, and it’s likely Aston Villa would look to pay less or try for a loan.
