Newcastle United are anticipated to try to sign Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix this summer, with the Spanish club looking to sign the Portuguese forward on a permanent basis.
Joao Felix is currently on loan at Chelsea from Atletico Madrid, but the Spanish club is hoping to sign him permanently this summer.
Diego Simeone and Joao Felix are at odds, and it was assumed that only one of them would stay at the club next season, which appears to be Simeone, with Newcastle attempting to offer Felix a way out.
According to Marca (via Sports Witness), Newcastle may be the team at the front of the queue for the Portuguese international.
Felix had made no secret of his ambition to play in the Premier League, and while he hasn’t lit up the competition since joining Chelsea on loan in January, he has scored three goals in 14 outings. However, he has also earned himself a red card.
Chelsea are thought to be interested in keeping Felix, but with Newcastle certain to qualify for the Champions League and Chelsea missing out on any form of European participation, the Magpies may believe they can beat their Premier League rivals to the punch.
Madrid valued Felix at £87 million, but given the situation with Simeone, Newcastle is anticipated to chop a significant percentage off that valuation, or possibly offer a loan with an option to buy.
Felix, described as a “special player” by Kieran Trippier, would be a statement signing for Newcastle, especially if he could be snatched from Chelsea. It can’t really be blamed on him for not playing for the Blues; no one else has, so it would be unfair to pick him out.
Despite his disagreements with Simeone, he fared well for Atletico in the first half of the season, and despite not being a regular starter for Simeone, he still managed four goals and three assists in 14 La Liga games.
Eddie Howe would like Joao Felix because he is young and experienced, but considering the issue with Simeone, his attitude will be called into question. Before his departure to Chelsea, Ally McCoist expressed worries about him, claiming he can do ‘great’ things but lacks consistency.
If Dan Ashworth and Eddie Howe can be assured that his head is clear and that the incident with Simeone is unique, Newcastle may just push to make this one happen. Howe’s job is to teach a player to be consistent, so there should be no issues there.
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