Aston Villa are believed to be the current favourites to sign Atletico Madrid superstar Joao Felix in the summer transfer window, according to a new report.
How much does Joao Felix earn per week?
The Portuguese star, who currently earns a huge £240,000 per week, sees his future up in the air currently, having returned to Atletico this summer after a temporary move away.
Felix was deemed surplus to requirements by the La Liga giants during the January transfer window, moving to Chelsea instead, in order to enjoy more regular football and potentially even secure a permanent move to Stamford Bridge. In truth, things didn't work out for him there though, and he only scored four goals in 16 appearances for a Blues side who eventually ended up finishing 12th in the table.
It seems clear that there is no future at Atletico for the 23-year-old beyond this summer, so there could be a scramble for his services, with Villa one of the clubs who have been linked with a move for him in the recent past. A big window is happening at Villa Park, with Youri Tielemans and Pau Torres already brought in, as NSWE show some real ambition in the transfer market.
Now, a new update has emerged regarding Felix's future – one that is sure to excite many Villans supporters.
Are Aston Villa signing Joao Felix?
According to Marca [via Football Espana], Villa are at the front of the queue when it comes to chasing Felix's signature this summer, with the Midlands club in pole position to offer him a route out of Atletico.
It is stated that the Portugal international recently decided not to head to Villa Park because they aren't playing in next season's Champions League, but there looks to have been a twist in the saga all of a sudden. Atletico definitely now want Felix to leave, no doubt in order to get an expendable player off their wage bill, so his preference could now come secondary to who they decide to sell to.
While Felix's stock has admittedly fallen a bit of late, following forgettable spells with both Atletico and Chelsea, he would still be an incredibly exciting signing for Villa, considering his world-renowned status as a truly huge talent. He won the prestigious European Golden Boot award back in 2019, handed to the best young player in Europe, which has also been lifted by the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Pedri in recent years.
At 23, the Atletico star also still has so many years to improve and he could love being the main man for Villa – someone who raises everyone else's game around him, and who Unai Emery manages to get every ounce from. Alvaro Morata has hailed him as a "special" player in the past and the Villans should do all they can to snap him up, in what would possibly be one of the biggest marquee signings in the club's history.
There would be a risk element involved, of course, considering he hasn't yet reached the expectation levels many had for him, but the money is there from NSWE and this feels like a big time in Villa's history, in terms of kicking on and potentially becoming one of the main players in the Premier League.