We are not in the race to sign Joao Felix because it is difficult to convince such a good player.
I really appreciate Joao Felix's talent. He can score, assist, drop deep to build play and make a breakthrough in any space. He is simply very special, Unai Emery shared in March 2023.
At that time, Aston Villa had just risen from the bottom of the rankings after Emery took charge. The Villa Park team is eager to recruit more new players to serve the Spanish strategist's plan. The Villains captain highly appreciated Joao Felix but the team's leadership could not meet the financial requirements and a Champions League ticket as Felix wanted.
Instead, the Portuguese star chose Chelsea and joined on a 6-month loan. However, Felix did not have a smooth time at Stamford Bridge and was returned to Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2023.
Since the 52-year-old took charge of Aston Villa, the Birmingham side have made significant strides. They won a ticket to the Conference League after finishing in 7th place in the 2022-2023 season. Unai Emery's side have done even better this year's campaign after finishing in the top four and playing in the Champions League next season.
With Moussa Diaby sold to Al-Ittihad for more than £50 million, the Villa Park team has earned a large sum of money. Unai Emery now has the ability to sign Joao Felix or a quality player to support Ollie Watkins.
Joao Felix considers the role of "number 10" as his best position even though in recent years he has played as a "false 9" or on the wings. Meanwhile, captain Unai Emery is known to have clear assignments to each position in the squad. In particular, the Spanish coach once described in detail an attacking midfielder he always wished for, Felix was that type of person.
Joao Felix has had a relatively difficult season since leaving Benfica in the summer of 2019. The 24-year-old star was considered one of the most promising talents in European football at that time and was recruited by Atletico Madrid for £113 million.
However, Felix does not seem to fit Diego Simeone's philosophy. Even though he joined Barcalena on loan last summer, the decision was driven by president Joan Laporta, not head coach Xavi.
In the summer of 2024, Atletico are said to want to sell Joao Felix rather than continue to loan the striker born in 1999. The Madrid team hopes to recover the money spent on recruiting Felix. It seems that Los Colchoneros' leadership also recognized the style difference between him and Simeone.
Felix is a player with outstanding talent but it is difficult for us to start over. Whatever happens well for him, we will be very happy because it is good for both of us" - Diego Simeone shared in November 2023.
In the Premier League, the salary-to-income ratio of Aston Villa in 2022 and 2023 ranked 4th (89%). However, revenue from the Champions League and player sales will create conditions for Villa in their salary and transfer budget. Some less important players such as Lucas Digne, Alex Moreno and Jhon Duran will be put up for sale to continue to free up their salary funds. This will help the Villa Park team recruit a classy star in the 2024 summer market.
In Duran's case, the Colombian star was highly appreciated for his talent, but there were problems with his attitude and emotional rift. In fact, Joao Felix was in a similar situation to Duran. They are all individual and talented but not suitable for their team.
Unai Emery's work with developing the "numbers 10" at Villa is very clear. In January 2024, The Villains signed Morgan Rogers and he has shown progress in the attacking midfield role. Meanwhile, Jacob Ramsey, John McGinn and Youri Tielemans have all been restructured and refined to operate between lines.
