Portugal international Joao Felix was a notable absentee from Atletico Madrid's matchday squad for their 2-0 win over Real Oviedo in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday evening, cranking up speculation over his future amid links with Manchester United.
Felix looks set to leave Atletico in January due to his frosty relationship with manager Diego Simeone and United are in need of a striker following the exit of Cristiano Ronaldo. The Reds are determined to add to their attacking ranks and are understood to be planning to bring in a temporary solution on loan.
Felix, who made four appearances for Portugal at the World Cup in Qatar, scoring one goal and registering two assists, has struggled for regular opportunities at Atletico this season, often being tasked with trying to impact games from the bench. However, he did start and score in Atletico's 2-0 win over Elche last week.
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But he was not included in the squad for the Copa del Rey triumph over Oviedo. Reports in Spain suggest he may have missed the match due to injury, while other reports said he does not want to play and risk picking up an injury that would jeopardise a possible move to England. Last month, Atletico CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin admitted that the Spanish club would consider allowing Felix to leave.
He told TVE: "For reasons it isn't worth getting into – the relationship between him and the boss [Simeone], the minutes played, his motivation right now… It makes you think if there's a reasonable option that’s good for the player, good for the club, we can look at it. I'd love for Joao to continue, but this is the current situation."
Felix joined Atletico in July 2019 for an eye-watering £113million fee, making him one of the most expensive players of all-time, but the move raised questions over how such an expressive footballer would fit into Atletico's pragmatic, functional system under Simeone. He is yet to tally more than 10 goals in a single season for the Madrid club.
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