Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone said that "no one is indispensable" when asked about the speculation surrounding Joao Felix's future.
The 23-year-old was in impressive form for Portugal at the 2022 World Cup, scoring once and providing two assists in four appearances, as the European nation reached the quarter-finals.
Felix has found it difficult to make his mark for Atletico this term, though, only managing four goals and three assists in 18 appearances in all competitions.
The forward's relationship with Simeone has allegedly broken down, and the Spanish club's CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin recently hinted that the Portuguese could be on the move in January.
"[Joao Felix] is the biggest bet this club has taken in its history. I personally think he's a top talent, a world-class player," Gil Marin told TVE last month.
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"For reasons it isn't worth getting into – the relationship between him and the boss (Simeone), the minutes played, his motivation right now – it makes you think that the reasonable thing is that if there's an option that's good for the player, good for the club, we can look at it.
"I'd love him to stay personally, but I don't think that's the player's idea."
Simeone has said that every player has their price, but the Argentine is hopeful that Atletico can give him "peace of mind and joy" at the club to help him thrive.
"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," Simeone 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."
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Felix made the move to Atletico from Benfica in July 2019, penning a seven-year contract with the capital giants.
The forward has largely struggled to make his mark for the Red and Whites, though, contributing 33 goals and 18 assists in 129 appearances in all competitions.
Manchester United continue to be heavily linked with the Portuguese, as the 20-time English champions prepare to replace Cristiano Ronaldo, who had his contract terminated at the end of November.
However, there have been suggestions that Atletico would want in excess of €100m (£85.9m) for the attacker in January, having paid €126m (£113m) for his services in the summer of 2019.
Matt Law
