Twenty-one days after his heartbreak over the missed penalty within the Euro 2024 quarter-final in opposition to France and 60 days after his final recreation with Barcelona, Joao Félix returns to the identical labyrinth as a 12 months in the past, with a contract with Atlético de Madrid till 2029, much less worth, nonetheless and not using a method out and with the understanding that his reunion this Friday will solely be short-term, with a deadline on August 30.
As deliberate, after the remaining interval set since his elimination with the Portuguese nationwide staff in Germany 2024, the attacker joined Atlético’s pre-season coaching at 8.30 am this Friday, underneath the orders of coach Diego Simeone, on the Ciudad Deportiva within the Madrid city of Majadahonda.
As is common when a participant returns to summer season coaching after the vacations when the remainder of the group has already had extra expertise and as has already occurred with different footballers on this similar preseason, Joao Félix’s first coaching session was particular, with workouts differentiated from the remaining to achieve the identical rhythm as his teammates and start the method of attaining bodily health for the beginning of the competitors.
It was solely his first session (this afternoon would be the second), so he’ll in all probability not be a part of Atlético’s first pleasant of the pre-season, this Saturday in opposition to Numancia on the Jesús Gil y Gil Memorial in El Burgo de Osma, whereas awaiting the decision of his future, which factors, like final season, to being exterior the red-and-white staff.
Joao Félix is not a part of the membership’s or Simeone’s plans for the staff’s new mission this season, nor does he need to stay with the Madrid staff, after the sporting disagreement with the Argentine coach a 12 months and a half in the past that led to his departure to Chelsea. He has not performed a match with Atlético since January 8, 2023, once they had been defeated 0-1 by Barcelona on the Metropolitano.
His present state of affairs is much like that of a 12 months in the past, with completely different nuances and circumstances. Then, on the final day of the switch market, the Portuguese striker ended up the place he supposed, at Barcelona, following the roadmap he had set out, after rejecting a few gives from England and publicly asserting his need to put on the Blaugrana shirt, in an announcement revealed by journalist Fabrizio Romano.
He did it. He performed 44 video games, 54.5 p.c as a starter (24), over two thousand minutes (52.2 p.c of the potential minutes), with ten objectives and 6 assists. However on mortgage, with a return date, with out an possibility to purchase, with the added bonus of renewing his contract with Atlético for 2 years, till June 2029, and with a discount in his wage upon his return to the Madrid membership, which, after one season, is going through the identical downside once more.
In his eyes, and in these of his coach as nicely, Joao Félix won’t play for Atlético this season both, as he didn’t do final season or within the second half of the 2021-22 season, when he went on mortgage to Chelsea. He neither elevated in worth nor did he keep on the London membership, which paid eleven million euros for a mortgage that ended with 20 video games, 1,188 minutes, 14 begins, 4 objectives, zero assists and a short lived return to the Metropolitano, amid the gestures, controversy and noise of his return to the membership.
Barcelona, Benfica, Aston Villa…?
With one month and 5 days to go till the switch market closes (August 30), Joao Felix is again at Atletico, in pre-season with a staff that either side contemplate to be on the finish of its cycle, although he nonetheless has 5 extra years underneath contract, with a coach who shouldn’t be relying on him for his squad this season, barring an unexpected change of coronary heart, and with no exit in sight but, although Barcelona and Benfica have expressed their intentions to signal him, simply as Aston Villa have proven curiosity.
Initially of the summer season, the president of the membership, Joan Laporta, expressed the need of Hansi Flick, his new coach, to have the Portuguese striker. There was nothing new since then. Rui Costa, his counterpart at Benfica, insisted per week in the past that there have been “negotiations underway” however that “they shouldn’t be talked about publicly”. The English press has reported Unai Emery’s curiosity in bringing him to Aston Villa.
On the Lisbon membership, when he emerged for the primary staff in 2018-19, Joao Félix was at his finest. He averaged one aim each 148 minutes (in comparison with 233 with Atlético, with 33 objectives in 131 video games), with 20 objectives in 2,961 minutes at 19 years outdated. Again then, a footballer with out limits was perceived, for whom the Madrid membership paid 120 million euros, however who has not but exploded with all his expertise nor, above all, has he established himself in any membership.
Not at Atlético, Barcelona or Chelsea. Nor on the Portuguese nationwide staff, the place he performed simply two video games, one as a starter with nothing at stake in opposition to Georgia, within the final European Championship. And Atlético wish to promote the Portuguese striker, like they did a 12 months in the past, which they haven’t but managed to do, and for whom they’re reducing their calls for each season. Now for 60 million.
As a result of Joao Felix, at 24 years outdated, a footballer who till now relied on moments and particulars reasonably than consistency, can be reducing his market worth. When he signed for Atlético, the specialist web site ‘Transfermarkt’ set it at 100 million euros; when he went on mortgage to Chelsea, in winter 2023, at 50… And now, when he should discover a vacation spot once more, it’s at 30 million euros. In 5 seasons, from 2019-20 to 2023-24, it has fallen by 70 p.c.
– JOAO FÉLIX’S NUMBERS WITH ATLÉTICO DE MADRID AND SIMEONE:
– Titles: 1 (LaLiga 2020-21).
– Matches: 131 (96 in La Liga, 5 within the Copa del Rey, 3 within the Spanish Tremendous Cup and 27 within the Champions League).
– Minutes: 7,706 (5,242 in La Liga, 270 within the Copa del Rey, 281 within the Spanish Tremendous Cup and 1,913 within the Champions League).
– Starter: 84 (55 in La Liga, 4 within the Copa del Rey, 3 within the Spanish Tremendous Cup and 22 within the Champions League).
– Full: 23 (12 in La Liga, 3 within the Copa del Rey, 2 within the Spanish Tremendous Cup and 6 within the Champions League).
– Objectives: 33 (24 in La Liga, 2 within the Copa del Rey and seven within the Champions League).
– Assists: 16 (13 in La Liga, 1 within the Copa del Rey and a pair of within the Champions League).
– Victories: 65 (54 in La Liga, 2 within the Copa del Rey, 1 within the Spanish Tremendous Cup and eight within the Champions League).
– Attracts: 34 (25 in La Liga, 1 within the Spanish Tremendous Cup and eight within the Champions League).
– Defeats: 32 (17 in La Liga, 3 within the Copa del Rey, 1 within the Spanish Tremendous Cup and 11 within the Champions League).
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