Tottenham Hotspur have been alerted to the possibility of signing Atletico Madrid striker Joao Felix following reports that he has been made available for transfer by Diego Simeone, which could involve an audacious swap deal involving Giovani Lo Celso.
According to Barca Times, via the Express, Felix has been offered to several European clubs after Simeone made him available for transfer, putting Spurs on red alert as they remain in the hunt for a new striker.
And with Lo Celso destined to leave north London after falling out of favour under Antonio Conte last season, the Italian may look to use him as leverage in securing a deal for Felix, with Atletico having previous interest in the Argentine.
After enjoying his best campaign for Atletico in 2021/22 with 10 goals and six assists in 34 appearances in all competitions, despite injury ending his season prematurely in April, the 22-year-old was named Atletico Madrid’s Player of the Season in May.
However, since arriving in the Spanish capital from Portuguese outfit Benfica in July 2019 on a seven-year contract for €126 million (£113 million), making him the fourth most expensive player in the world at the time, Felix has failed to really hit the heights that have been expected of him.
The 22-year-old has scored just 30 goals in 110 appearances for Atletico in three seasons and despite his Player of the Season achievement in the most recent campaign, Simeone has reportedly changed his stance on the striker and is willing to let him leave the club this summer.
Should Tottenham attempt to sign Joao Felix this summer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
And with Spurs on the hunt for a new striker ahead of next season, coupled with the fact that Atletico have registered previous interest in signing Lo Celso, who Spurs are looking to move on this summer, it has potentially opened up a huge opportunity for Conte’s side.
Earlier this month, AS reported that Simeone is a big fan of the 26-year-old and has been tracking him since his Real Betis days, with Atletico even trying to sign him in 2019 before they were beaten to his signature by Tottenham, who signed him for £45m three years ago.
After making 37 appearances in all competitions during his first campaign with Spurs in 2019-20, Lo Celso then saw that number reduced to 28 the following year, before he featured 19 times last season ahead of a January transfer window exit to Villarreal for the remainder of the campaign.
The Argentine became surplus to requirements under Conte, yet rediscovered his form under Unai Emery in La Liga last season, while helping the Yellow Submarine in their impressive run to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. Nonetheless, it is understood that he is still set to move on from north London this summer.
And according to The Sun, Spurs are reportedly willing to accept £17m for the 26-year-old. However, they could now look to use him in a player-plus-cash deal to secure the signing of Felix, who is expected to have a hefty price tag with four-years still left to run on his existing deal.
With Felix being previously linked to the likes of Barcelona, it may be difficult to persuade the Portuguese forward to switch to the English shores, but with the chance to work under Conte and the guarantee of remaining in the Champions League on offer, it could be a hard one to turn down.
