Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone declined to comment on the possibility of Joao Felix leaving the club in January. The 22-year-old has been struggling to regain his form since Atletico Madrid broke their transfer record to sign a player from Benfica for 126 million euros (£ 113m / $ 142m) in 2019.
Increased injury and increased competition also mean you have limited first-team chances this season, sparking rumors that he has slipped out of the winter window.
Felix’s ordeal this season has been exacerbated by an ankle injury he suffered playing for Portugal at Euro 2020 that left him missing the start of the season, before facing a calf problem in November.
The summer signings of Matheus Cunha and Antoine Griezmann also reduced his chances, with Felix starting six games in all competitions so far, scoring just once.
Asked if the striker would like to withdraw from the club next month, Simeone told a news conference: “I always understand everything, I am open to everything.
“The most important thing is the team. Joao is an important part of our team.”
However, Simeone appeared to give Felix an olive branch, expressing how impressed he was with his performance in the second half against Real Madrid last weekend.
“He has to play again like the one he gave the other day at the Bernabeu,” added Simeone.
“He played for 30-35 minutes and showed all his ability. Let’s hope he does that again because this is the player we need.”
“I have spoken to him a lot, there is nothing I can explain to him that needs to be worked on internally.
“Seeing Joao for just a few minutes, you realize he’s a great player. You’re going through a period of growth, we’ve seen it with Portugal and maybe even here. It’s about maturity and growth to get the consistency that football wants.”
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