Atletico Madrid chief drops huge bombshell over Joao Felix future

Atletico Madrid chief executive Gil Marin has dropped a huge hint over the future of Portuguese superstar Joao Felix.

The 23-year-old was in electrifying form for Portugal during their 6-1 win over Switzerland in the World Cup round of 16, bagging two assists in a performance that showcased his dazzling ability on the ball.

But he has struggled to make the impact many expected he would at Atletico Madrid. He was bought from Benfica for a staggering €126m (£113m) in 2019 but hasn’t always commanded a regular place in Diego Simeone’s side.

The Argentine’s tactics have appeared to be at odds with Felix’s preferred style of play and it’s apparent that the relationship between the two has broken down.

90min understands that Felix is looking to leave Atletico Madrid next year, amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Chelsea, although he is under contract until 2026 and Atletico may be unwilling to take a heavy loss on their substantial investment.

However, chief executive Marin has hinted that Felix’s time at Atleti may be coming to an end and appeared to confirm the player’s desire to leave the Metropolitano Stadium.

“[Joao Felix] is the biggest bet this club has taken in its history. I personally think he’s a top talent, a world class player,” Marin 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 that the reasonable thing is that if there’s an option that’s good for the player, good for the club, we can look at it. I’d love him to stay personally, but I don’t think that’s the player’s idea.”

Felix has scored just 24 goals in 94 La Liga appearances for Atleti in his three-and-a-half seasons at the club and has just four strikes to his name in all competitions this season.

He is, however, looking like a key cog in Fernando Santos’ Portugal side, with Morocco their opponents in Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final.