Villa target is on the market, admits Atletico

ATLETICO Madrid chief executive Gil Marin has admitted that the club could be open to letting Aston Villa-linked Joao Felix leave the club in January, hinting that the player is looking to move on in the window.

Reports in Spain suggest that Villa are ‘‘negotiating’’ with Atletico for the forward (pictured), who is currently in World Cup action for Portugal.

It is claimed that Unai Emery’s side are ‘‘amongst the best placed teams’’ to sign the 23-year-old when the transfer window opens.

Felix has found regular starts hard to come by this season, with the player reportedly having a strained relationship with manager Diego Simeone. The forward has played 12 games in La Liga so far, but only five of those have been starts.

The Portuguese international joined Atletico from Benfica in the summer of 2019 for a club record fee of around £113 million. He will have three-anda-half years remaining on his deal with the club when the transfer window comes around, but Marin has opened the door to a possible exit from the club next month.

“Signing him was the biggest bet the club has made in its history,” the club chief told TVE. “I think he is a world-class player, but because of the relationship with the coach, his playing time, his motivation... it’d be reasonable to analyse an option for him to depart if one arrives.

“It’s reasonable to think that he might leave, although I’d love him to stay. But that’s not the player’s plan.”

Felix has been a regular starter for Portugal in the World Cup, starting in the nation’s 6-1 win over Switzerland in the round of 16 on Tuesday night. He will be in quarter-final action against Morocco on Saturday.