Todd Boehly ‘madness’ one of two ‘assets’ for Atletico in Joao Felix sale as Newcastle plan hijack
Todd Boehly is one of two ‘assets’ for Atletico Madrid in their bid to be rid of Joao Felix this summer.
Felix moved to Chelsea on loan in January but is set to return to Madrid at the end of the season.
Reports have suggested Chelsea are keen on keeping the Portugal international, either on another loan or in a permanent deal.
Atletico would prefer the latter according to Marca (via Sport Witness), who claim the Spanish side were hoping to secure a €100m fee for Felix to sign two new full-backs and a replacement for Yannick Carrasco.
There wouldn’t be much hope for Atletico of landing such a sum for a forward who has scored just two goals in 15 appearances in most circumstances, but the report states they have two ‘assets’ which could help them to get the deal done: Chelsea owner Todd Boehly and Felix’s agent, Jorge Mendes.
Mendes will be touting his client around Europe and could persuade Chelsea to sign him if Boehly does what Marca describe as another ‘madness’ in the next transfer window.
Boehly has spent close to £600m on new players in just two windows so far, and Atletico have been buoyed by the American prioritising ‘flashiness over tactical concepts’, which is Felix in a nutshell.
Cadena Sar meanwhile suggest Chelsea may have to battle Newcastle for Felix.
The Magpies have reportedly thrown their hat in the ring to sign the 23-year-old as they close in on Champions League football.
And given Felix’s desire to compete in Europe’s showcase competition, Eddie Howe’s side may hold the advantage over their Premier League rivals.
READ MORE: Spunking £100m on Joao Felix could be the most humiliating forward signing yet by Chelsea
Asked about the importance of playing in the Champions League last month ahead of Chelsea’s clash against Borussia Dortmund, Felix replied: “Yeah, playing in the Champions League is always different. It’s a competition that everyone wants to play.
“But now I’m focused on this Champions League, on the game. We have a lot of games yet to try to reach the Champions League in the league.
“It’s not over. But, yeah, playing in the Champions League is an important decision, but the future no one knows, so let’s see what happens and then we’ll see.”
