Atletico Madrid News
Atletico Madrid ready to sell Chelsea target to any club except Real Madrid and Barcelona
According to David G Medina of MARCA, Atletico Madrid are ready to sell Joao Felix to any club in Europe except for La Liga rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Atletico Madrid signed Felix in the summer of 2019 for a massive fee of €127 million as a replacement for Antoine Griezmann, who had left for Barcelona.
However, the 23-year-old Portuguese forward never really flourished and showcased his full potential at the Civitas Metropolitano.
After experiencing several ups and downs and failing to establish himself in Diego Simeone’s starting XI, Felix left Atletico Madrid in January, joining Chelsea on loan.
It had been reported that the Blues are interested in signing Felix permanently at the end of the season.
However, in light of his recent poor performances, Atletico Madrid fear that Chelsea might decide against going ahead with the Portuguese forward’s signing.
In such a scenario, Felix would be back at Atletico Madrid at the end of the season. And even though president Enrique Cerezo recently insisted that he has a place in the squad, the Rojiblancos will very much likely look to ship him off due to their financial needs.
But, Atletico will not let Felix join either Real Madrid or Barcelona at any cost.
While Real Madrid have not held any interest in the 23-year-old, the same cannot be said of Barça. Their club president Joan Laporta has openly admitted to liking Felix and accepted that the club tried to sign the Portuguese as part of the Antoine Griezmann deal back in 2021.
However, Atletico Madrid will not sell Felix to Real Madrid, due to the rivalry and damaged relationship between the two teams, nor they will let him move to Barcelona as CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin does not want to strengthen a direct opponent and see a player he signed succeed with a rival.
Atletico Madrid News
Atletico Madrid, Chelsea contact PSG midfielder’s agent with player set to leave
Atletico Madrid and Chelsea are among the clubs that have made contact with the agent of PSG midfielder Leandro Paredes, who is set to leave this summer.
This claim comes from journalist Martin Arevalo on ESPN, who states that apart from Atletico and Chelsea, an unnamed third club have also established contact with the Argentine international’s representative.
Paredes has been on PSG’s books since January 2019, when he arrived from Zenit St. Petersburg. For a large part of his time at the French capital outfit, the midfielder had been a regular starter in the side.
However, last summer saw Paredes get shipped out on loan to Juventus. He has played 33 times for the Bianconeri this season with a return of one goal and assist apiece.
The Serie A heavyweights, who were recently hit with a 10-point deduction, have the option to purchase him permanently. But, as per the report, his relationship with manager Massimiliano Allegri is not good and a return to PSG is on the cards.
And considering that he is not in the plans back at Parc des Princes either, a permanent departure away seems set in stone for Paredes.
As such, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, and an unnamed club have shown interest in acquiring his services by making contact with the 28-year-old World Cup winner’s agent.
With Koke entering the final phase of his career and Geoffrey Kondogbia expected to leave at the end of the season, the Rojiblancos could do with reinforcements in the centre of the park.
Paredes, who has plenty of experience at the highest level and is known for his aggressive mentality, can be a good fit into Diego Simeone’s setup at the Civitas Metropolitano.
But, with Chelsea also in the picture, things could get tricky for the Colchoneros. After all, Atleti are operating on tight finances and are looking for bargain and free transfer signings in the market with the likes of Marcus Thuram, Jordi Alba, and Raphael Guerreiro emerging as targets.
