Liverpool are looking for ways to strengthen their attack – and Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix is apparently being targeted
Liverpool are closing in on a stunning £63m deal for Portuguese starlet Joao Felix.
That’s according to reports in Spain that claim the 22-year-old is nearing closer to the exit door, having failed to settle in the Spanish capital following his seismic nine-figure move in 2019.
Atletico Madrid signed Felix for a club-record transfer worth €126 million (£113 million). This was the fourth-most expensive transfer in the history of football, the second-most ever paid for a teenager – after Kylian Mbappe’s move to PSG – and the highest fee for a Portuguese player leaving the domestic league.
But not even three years on, Atleti are prepared to accept almost half of that.
Felix has impressed in bursts for the Colchoneros but only scored once this season, with many critics noting that he’s a bad fit for Diego Simeone’s brand of football.
There also appears to be friction between the pair, with Felix looking visibly frustrated with his manager at times – while Atleti chief Simeone was left furious at full time in their 0-0 LaLiga draw at Athletic Bilbao in September, following Felix getting red-carded.
There are said to be plenty of Premier League teams in for the Portuguese, with Liverpool leading the pack. Arsenal, Newcastle United and Manchester City have also shown interest, while Bayern Munich were said to have interest too at one stage.
The forward could be a great fit for the Reds in particular, though.
There’s plenty of fluidity in the forward positions at Anfield, with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane dovetailing alongside one of Diogo Jota or Roberto Firmino. Jurgen Klopp’s forwards all have stunning movement and are capable of operating in various spaces in the frontline.
Felix is capable of playing as a left-winger or a second striker, while he has also featured as a no.9 on occasion in his career. His versatility makes him an attractive proposition – while his age means that he will no doubt improve physically and tactically.
At £63m, Klopp could seize the opportunity to snare one of the most exciting young attackers in Europe for a snip of his true value. Felix has the potential to play at the top for a long time and Liverpool will almost certainly be interested in signing the player if they can negotiate deal as good as this.
Mark White has been a staff writer on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, writing pieces both online and for the magazine. He is a keen player of the Football Manager series and creates Twitter accounts for his FPL team every year, before losing interest in his team every September.
