Manchester United are exploring the possibility of signing Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix this summer, it has been reported, with the Portuguese attacker ‘seduced’ by the idea of staying in England.
The Portuguese forward spent the second half of last season on loan at Chelsea, and hinted that he would be happy to stay at Stamford Bridge on a permanent basis despite only scoring four times in 20 appearances during his time in west London.
However, the Blues opted not to make the move permanent, largely thanks to the arrival of Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig, who plays a similar role to Felix.
As a result, the 23-year-old is back at Atletico, where he is under contract until 2027 but has struggled to find a connection with Rojablanco boss Diego Simeone, who has often overlooked him in favour of more defensively-minded options.
Expected to leave again this summer either on loan or permanently, Manchester could be a potential destination, with the Red Devils having shown interest in the 23-year-old in January before he agreed a temporary switch to Chelsea.
Erik ten Hag’s side are expected to sign a new no.9 this summer, but are also on the hunt for a forward who can provide cover and competition across the frontline to a high standard, with the futures of Anthony Elanga and Jadon Sancho in doubt and little current cover in the squad for Antony.
Any move would likely be temporary, with no club currently willing to meet Atletico Madrid’s hefty £80m price tag for the attacker, and Simeone’s contract up in 2024 as it stands, potentially allowing for reintegration of their record signing in 12 months time.
