Atletico Madrid are making headlines with a daring proposal to Manchester City. The Spanish club has reportedly offered Joao Felix to City in a bid to secure Julian Alvarez.
The proposed deal involves a loan for Felix with an option to buy, plus additional cash. This surprising offer has the football world buzzing with speculation.
Atletico wants Felix out, Alvarez in?
Atletico Madrid, keen to offload Joao Felix, who they purchased for a hefty $145 million, has struggled to find clubs willing to meet his price tag. Despite Felix's talent, his high cost has been a stumbling block. The solution? A swap deal with Manchester City, involving Argentine forward Julian Alvarez.
City's interest in Felix dates back to before his loan to Chelsea in 2023. However, the Premier League champions have no intention of selling Alvarez, who is eager for more game time and open to a move to Spain.
Manchester City have set a price of £75 million ($95.7m) plus an additional £10 million ($12.7m) based on performance for Alvarez.
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Alvarez's desire for more minutes
Julian Alvarez has been vocal about his desire for more playing time. In a recent interview, he expressed frustration over being left out of crucial matches:
“Last season, I was one of the players with the most minutes at City. But… in the end, you don’t like being left out of important matches; you want to contribute. I’ll take my time to think about what I want for myself. We will see after the Games. First, if I can, I will take a few days off. Then we will decide.”
Despite being a key part of Pep Guardiola's squad, Alvarez's quest for regular starts could see him push for a move if guaranteed game time isn't offered.
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Felix's future in limbo
Joao Felix has had a challenging time at Atletico Madrid and on loan at Chelsea. He scored four goals in 20 games for Chelsea and ten in 44 appearances for Atletico. Despite his talents, he doesn't fit into Diego Simeone's plans for the next season. Felix's dissatisfaction and Atletico's desire to move him on make the proposed swap deal intriguing.
City's current squad dynamics also play a role. With two players already operating from the left wing, including Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku, adding Felix might not make strategic sense unless City plans to move one of them.
Felix could potentially replace Grealish, who has struggled to find consistent form since his record-breaking transfer to City.
Thus, Atletico's bold move could trigger one of the most talked-about transfers of the summer.
