Arsenal, Chelsea Embroiled In Tug Of War To Acquire Joao Felix

The January transfer window is just around the corner, and there are a of names being floated.

One curious name is that of Joao Felix of Atletico Madrid.

The 23-year-old winger has reportedly been offered to several clubs, but the teams that have been singled out are Arsenal and Chelsea according to 90Min.

Felix and his management are reportedly hoping for a transfer deal to happen in January.

Considering the Portuguese player has fallen out of the rotation of Diego Simone, the understanding is that he would best move on and find a new home.

While that makes sense, getting a transfer deal done for Felix may not be easy.

Atletico is reportedly asking for a £100 million ($122 million) for the prolific midfielder.

It was added that neither the Gunners nor the Blues are willing to shell out such a huge amount.

But in the event that either Arsenal or Chelsea has a change of heart, it would be a club record.

Basing it on the finances of both clubs, the Blues are seen as the more likely one to make a bold investment.

Proof of this is previous deals that both teams have done as Chelsea did pay £100 million ($122 million) for Romelu Lukaku.

The most that Arsenal shelled out was £72 million ($88 million), something that they spent on Nicolas Pepe.

Felix did make a good account of himself for Portugal at the World Cup 2022. However, the effort was not enough to push Portugal past the quarterfinals, eventually falling to Morocco, 1-0, last December 9.

Another team being mentioned as a plausible landing spot for Felix is Aston Villa, per Football 365's report.

With Felix airing his preference to play for a European giant, an alternative would be seeing the Portuguese player being loaned out.

However, that possibility would depend on Atletico Madrid's final decision.