Atletico Madrid News
Arsenal, Chelsea, Man United want Atletico Madrid ace on loan, €21m package a hurdle
Atletico Madrid CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin recently admitted that the relationship between Joao Felix and Diego Simeone is broken and the 60-year-old revealed the worst-kept secret that the Portuguese international might as well be on his way out in January.
“I believe he is a top, world-class player, but for reasons it is not worth getting into now, the relationship between him and the ‘mister’ (coach Diego Simeone) is not good, nor is his motivation.
“The reasonable thing is to think he will leave. Although I would love him to stay, that is not the player’s idea,” he had said.
Now, according to The Athletic, given the situation at hand, the player’s agent, Jorge Mendes is currently trying to organise a loan move for his client, but the only hurdle the stakeholders are facing are the terms and the finances.
It must be remembered that Felix cost Atletico a whopping €126 million when he arrived from Benfica in 2019. It is understood that while Atletico know recouping that amount in January would be next to impossible, they are said to be seeking a €21 million package for a possible loan move.
The Athletic bifurcates the amount as €15 million loan fee while the other €6 million will be his gross salary.
Speaking in the context of the player’s transfer, Premier League sides such as Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United have previously enquired about his availability, but the figures Atletico are demanding are proving impossible for the teams to match.
Apart from the Premier League, teams such as Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona have also been mentioned in the Spanish press, but it is understood that if Felix is to leave, Premier League will be the most likely destination.
The Athletic also states that Mendes has already contacted a number of Premier League teams in order to strike a loan deal until summer for the Portuguese. The only hurdle the agent is facing is to get the mentioned €21 million out of the interested teams.
Among all the interested parties, Arsenal like Felix a lot and the management is of the idea that he would be a great addition to the attacking unit.
Manchester United, on the other hand, asked about his availability in the previous summer window, but now, they might want a traditional striker following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo.
As of today, there is no active negotiation going on with any of the mentioned teams, but if the cost of the loan deal falls, he might as well move to the English shores soon.
Atletico Madrid News
Atletico Madrid monitoring teenage striker with €40 million release clause – Romano
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Atletico Madrid are among the clubs monitoring the progress of UD Almeria striker Marciano Sanca.
The 19-year-old Guinea-Bissau forward joined Almeria from Portuguese outfit Leixoes in January last year, linking up with the club’s B team.
Marciano has made three league appearances Almeria’s reserve team and has not scored a goal yet. The teenager has been training with the first-team setup regularly and Romano claims that he is close to making his debut in La Liga.
While he might not have made a splash at the senior level yet, Marciano seems to be already gathering admirers with Atletico Madrid, Villarreal and Brighton & Hove Albion said to be tracking the youngster.
Los Rojiblancos are set to enter the market for a new centre-forward as Joao Felix is expected to be sold permanently while Alvaro Morata’s future is also not entirely certain.
So even though Diego Simeone has Memphis Depay, Angel Correa, and Morata at his disposal, Atletico Madrid will dive into the market for a new striker with there being links to Mateo Retegui of Boca Juniors, currently on loan at Tigre.
Now, Marciano has also emerged as a potential target or Atletico Madrid, although signing him will not be easy in the summer.
Even though the 19-year-old’s contract expires in 2024, he is bound by a release clause worth €40 million and Almeria intend to keep him at the club beyond this season.
So, the La Liga club might hold out for the entire release clause amount in order to stave off potential suitors like Atletico Madrid, who are not in a position to make such an investment on an unproven youngster.
