A move to Manchester City could reportedly be on the cards for Portuguese attacking sensation Joao Felix as Atletico Madrid ponder summer sale.
According to O Jogo, as relayed by Sport Witness, Manchester City have been handed a fresh boost in their pursuit of Joao Felix. The report indicates Atletico Madrid could be coerced to sell the 22-year-old attacking superstar to the Citizens in the summer as they look to fund a move for top target Darwin Nunez.
The Uruguayan international is currently a top target for Newcastle United, with the Premier League side even prepared to splash a sizable sum in the January transfer window. However, SL Benfica are ready to play the waiting game as they expect Atletico Madrid to propose a better offer in the summer once they offload Felix.
It is no secret that Manchester City are in the market for a new striker in the summer. Over the past six months, the reigning English champions have had to deal with the departures of Sergio Aguero and Ferran Torres, who recently joined Barcelona on a permanent deal.
It has left Manchester City shallow in the goalscoring department, with the Citizens planning to spend the remainder of the campaign without a recognised centre-forward. However, they are expected to spend the big bucks in the summer. Many reports already suggest that Pep Guardiola is keen on a summer swoop for in-form Bayer Leverkusen star Patrik Schick.
The Premier League champions are also among the top suitors for stars like Erling Haaland, Dusan Vlahovic and Harry Kane, thanks to their financial muscle and dominance over English football.
However, Pep Guardiola could be coerced into targeting Joao Felix, should Atletico Madrid make him available next summer. The Catalan mastermind is believed to be a huge admirer of the Portuguese attacker due to his technical prowess and magical skill on the ball.
Although Felix is not an out and out centre-forward, Guardiola believes the 22-year-old could be an ideal addition to the attacking unit that has fared quite well even without a proper number nine. However, the former SL Benfica forward might not be easy prey, knowing Atletico would be keen on recouping the majority of the hefty sum they had spent on the player a few years ago.
It could drive the price tag up to the €100 million mark, making him significantly more expensive than other top targets, including Schick and Vlahovic.
