Aston Villa are reportedly considering a move for Atletico Madrid playmaker Joao Felix as we look to strengthen our attacking options.
With Moussa Diaby tipped to be on the verge of departing in a deal worth around €60m, not only will that leave a void in Unai Emery’s squad that he might feel he needs to fill, but it also arms us with significant funds to continue to improve the group.
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The French international had a steady first year at the club with 10 goals and nine assists in 54 appearances. He was an important option for Emery throughout the campaign and produced some crucial goal contributions on our way to securing Champions League qualification.
However, it looks as though his time at Villa is coming to an end, and although we have a number of top options in that department already with Morgan Rogers, Emiliano Buendia, Jacob Ramsey, Leon Bailey and Jaden Philogene all vying for spots behind Ollie Watkins in the final third, we could opt to bring in another reinforcement this summer.
According to The Guardian, Joao Felix has emerged as a target for us as he is a player of interest for Emery, and so it remains to be seen if talks are initiated and whether or not an agreement can be reached between the respective parties to move any potential transfer forward.
The 24-year-old joined the Spanish giants in 2019 after initially shining at Benfica, and although he’s bagged 34 goals and 18 assists in 131 appearances for the club, he has had a difficult stint there having been sent out on loan to both Chelsea and Barcelona in the previous two seasons.
Felix scored 10 goals and provided six assists in 44 outings for the latter last year, and so it remains to be seen if a fresh start at Villa under Emery could be the key to unlocking his best form and full potential in the coming years.
The Guardian also report that Villa admire Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams, who has a £49m release clause in his current contract, but with fierce competition expected from Barcelona, it remains to be seen if we’re able to win that particular pursuit.
Villa’s touted interest has now been reiterated by both Fabrizio Romano and the Telegraph, with the former insisting that it will be a difficult negotiation given the financial aspects of any possible deal, but Villa are interested and so it remains to be seen if we press ahead with a swoop.
In an ideal world, we’d be able to find a way to land Williams given he has previously been a priority target for Emery, and having shown his class on the international stage at EURO 2024 this summer, he looks to have a big future ahead of him for club and country.
That said, if it’s unlikely a deal could materialise for the Spaniard, Felix would certainly be an alternative that gets the supporters excited, and so time will tell who will arrive to continue to raise the level within Emery’s squad.
