Arsenal should sign Portugal star Joao Felix to fill the void left by Gabriel Jesus’ injury.
On Tuesday, Mikel Arteta received the type of news he would have been dreading when 10 of his squad departed to compete in the Qatar World Cup.
Arsenal’s £45million summer signing Jesus sustained an injury playing for Brazil, and will be out for up to three months after having knee surgery.
Jesus has been central to the Gunners’ early-season success, having netted five goals and provided a further five assists to help the team establish a five-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.
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The injury, which is more serious than initially thought, is a blow to Arsenal’s impressive yet fragile title charge with Arteta’s squad paper-thin when compared to their nearest challenger's riches.
The 25-year-old is out of 11 league matches, with Eddie Nketiah, the natural understudy, likely to come into the fold. However, the Gunners will likely step up attempts to sign a versatile forward in the January market.
Joao Felix leaving Atletico
One player who would fill Jesus' void and cause a stir of excitement at the Emirates would be Atletico Madrid and Portugal star Felix.
The 23-year-old, who was once heralded as ‘the next big thing’, completed a £113million transfer to Atletico, but Felix’s time in the Spanish capital has since gone sour.
Felix has only registered seven goal contributions in 18 appearances for Atletico this term, while off the pitch there appears to be a wedge in his relationship with manager Diego Simeone, who is an admittedly polarising presence.
Atletico Madrid CEO, Gil Marín, admitted: “João Felix has top level but because of his relationship with Simeone and game time… we feel that makes sense to consider potential bids to sell him. I’d love for Joao to continue, but this is the current situation.”
So with the Gunners needing a striker, Felix wanting out of the Wanda-Metropolitano, and Atletico braced for bids, why not Arsenal?
Why not Arsenal?
Felix is the type of player that could slot into Arteta’s free-flowing attack at the Emirates.
The Portugal star has thrived on the international stage, occupying a free role across the attacking positions that at times also sees him operate as a second striker. Indeed, Felix is not dissimilar to Jesus in terms of positioning.
Meanwhile, off the pitch, Arsenal sporting director Edu Gaspar has worked successfully with Felix’s agency Gestifute to get a deal done for Fabio Vieira last summer. Good relations between both parties could help if Arsenal are serious about acquiring Felix.
A sticking point however is the stiff competition the Gunners would face. Arsenal have been named alongside Paris Saint-Germain and Premier League rivals Chelsea and Manchester United as clubs to have registered an interest in Felix.
Of those clubs listed, the Gunners are the least likely to pay the £86million price tag Atletico have reportedly placed on the player.
Topics: Football, Atletico Madrid, Arsenal, Joao Felix, Portugal, Transfers
Chris Byfield