Aston Villa in talks with Atletico Madrid to sign Joao Felix, deal expected to progress quickly | OneFootball

Joao Felix’s situation has been up in the air for most of the summer. Atletico Madrid do not want him to return to Diego Simeone’s squad for the upcoming season, whereas a return to Barcelona has also not looked likely because they do not consider him to be a priority signing over the likes of Nico Williams and Dani Olmo.

This uncertainty has allowed Aston Villa to emerge as the clear favourites for Felix’s signature. Unai Emery is keen to sign the Portuguese attacker, and it’s likely that he would replace the recently-departed Moussa Diaby in his squad.

Sport have reported that Aston Villa and Atleti are in talks over a deal for Felix. At this stage, it’s unclear whether it would be a third successive loan deal (after spells at Chelsea and Barcelona), or if the 24-year-old will return to the Premier League on a permanent basis. Atleti will hope for the latter, as they aim to raise funds for more summer signings.

It’s expected that a deal for Felix will progress quickly, given that he’s due to return to Atletico Madrid for pre-season training in the next few days – something that club officials are desperate to avoid. This could give Aston Villa an advantage in negotiations.