Manchester United are considering whether to table a loan bid for Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix, according to reports in the UK.
The Portuguese international has a €100m (£86m) asking price but the Red Devils aren’t willing to pay that much upfront for the player.
A solution could be to sign Felix on a temporary basis with a sizeable loan fee and an obligation to buy next summer. The plan has been met with a mixed reaction among supporters on Twitter:
@ManUtd United NEED to make this happen!
— Varun Sehgal (@VarunVNix) December 14, 2022
Option to buy is better
— Uncle Drew (@mufcbacker) December 14, 2022
I’m on my knees please😭
— Deng(🇫🇷) (@UTDDengv2) December 14, 2022
So he can end with 5 goals na please get me a proper striker
— JACK (@Charismajack1) December 14, 2022
Perfect deal
— Life🌴🇦🇷 (@victor_daley) December 14, 2022
Not a fan tbh.
A obligation is still technically buying him now just paying for it later.
Plus 80+ mil for felix is extremely risky and it would mean our system would have to permanently change to a false 9.
Would much rather prefer a option to buy
— Aryan Bakshi (@bindia200) December 14, 2022
Do whatever it takes!
— Theatre of Broken Dreams (@TMajestic12) December 14, 2022
Some fans have been suggesting an option to buy rather than a mandatory purchase clause but Atletico need to raise funds to balance the books so they are unlikely to be interested in such a proposal.
You also have to consider that there will be competition for Felix’s services. It has been claimed that the 23-year-old has also been offered to the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal. We shall have to wait and see whether United make a formal approach for the striker.
