Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has said that he is expecting Joao Felix to still be at Wanda Metropolitano beyond the end of the January transfer window.
The Portugal international's future continues to be called into question, with both Manchester United and Arsenal said to be interested in securing his signature during the winter market.
Felix is unlikely to depart on a permanent basis due to his substantial value, but a loan move has been discussed, with Man United and Arsenal thought to be exploring the possibility of signing him for the second half of the 2022-23 campaign.
However, there is thought to be major problems in terms of the cost of the deal, with Atletico said to want a £13m loan fee, in addition to his wages covered for the rest of the campaign.
Atletico boss Diego Simeone recently said that no player at the club was "indispensable".
© Reuters
"No one is indispensable and things will be as they have to be. It is very important for us. He has had a good World Cup, he participated in goals with the importance that the coach gave him," he told reporters.
"Hopefully we can have the best Joao who he saw himself in the World Cup. Hopefully we also give him that peace of mind and joy to show in the game all that was seen in the World Cup."
Meanwhile, Atletico CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin recently suggested that Felix would be on the move during the January transfer window.
"He is the biggest bet the club has made," Gil Marin told TVE. "I think he has the highest level in the world but for reasons that are not worth going into now, the relationship between the coach and him is not good, nor is his motivation.
"The reasonable thing is to think that he leaves, although I would love him to continue, but, this is not the player's idea."
© Reuters
However, despite the speculation, Cerezo does not believe that the Portuguese will depart Wanda Metropolitano before the end of the January window.
"Nothing is impossible in life, but the normal thing is that Joao Felix stays at Atletico Madrid," Cerezo told Carrusel Deportivo when asked for an update on the situation.
Felix has found it difficult to make his mark for Atletico during the 2022-23 campaign, only managing five goals and three assists in 19 appearances in all competitions.
Meanwhile, in total, the forward has 34 goals and 18 assists in 130 outings for the Red and Whites since making the move to the club from Benfica in July 2019.
Felix still has more than three years left on the long-term deal that he penned upon arriving in Madrid.
Matt Law
