Man Utd plot ambitious deal to prise £80m Chelsea star Ten Hag admires away from Stamford Bridge
Reece James and Joao Felix of Chelsea, 2023
Manchester United will attempt to pry Joao Felix away from Chelsea when his loan from Atletico Madrid ends this summer, according to reports.
The Portugal international made the switch to Stamford Bridge after an alleged fallout with Diego Simeone and has put in some good performances so far.
Chelsea were thought to be confident of signing Felix permanently in the coming months, however, Man Utd could now potentially scupper their plans.
As previously reported by TEAMtalk, Graham Potter has been impressed by the 23-year-old’s contributions so far and in all likelihood, the Blues will table a sizeable offer for his services.
Since arriving from Atletico, Felix has made 10 appearances for Chelsea overall, scoring two goals in the process.
The versatile attacker has been one of the few positives for Blues fans this season, with Potter’s team sitting in a disappointing 11th place in the Premier League table.
Chelsea have spent heavily on their squad this season, too, bringing in the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Mykhaylo Mudryk, Benoit Badiashile and others – spending ridiculous amounts in the process.
While the team has so far failed to gel, Potter remains confident that in time Chelsea will become a force again and he wants Felix to play a key role in that process.
Man Utd aim to snatch Felix from Chelsea
However, according to reports coming out of Spain, Man Utd are hopeful of negotiating a ‘favourable deal’ with Atletico once Felix returns to his parent club at the end of the season.
Erik ten Hag is rumoured to be a big admirer of the attacker, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Red Devils rival Chelsea for his signature this summer.
Atletico are thought to be demanding a fee in the region of £80m for Felix, so the Premier League duo will have to put their money where their mouth is to get a deal over the line.
In a recent interview with the London is Blue Podcast, Felix remained tight-lipped on his future.
He said: “For now I’m on loan at Chelsea, so I don’t know the future yet, but I’m here and I see that it’s a big club with a big project.”
Chelsea had to pay Atletico a £9m loan fee to secure the temporary deal for Felix in January. He got off to a shaky start, receiving a red card and a three-match ban for a poor challenge on his debut against Fulham.
Since though, the Portuguese star has scored two impressive goals against Everton and West Ham and generally, has looked the most dangerous attacking player in a struggling Chelsea team.
As a result, Blues fans would be furious if Man Utd did sign him this summer, so they will hope that Todd Boehly and co do everything necessary to pen a permanent deal for Felix.
