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Aston Villa sporting director Monchi has confirmed the club are interested in signing Chelsea’s Joao Felix but is unsure whether it will be possible this January.
Felix returned to Chelsea from Atletico Madrid last summer, following an underwhelming loan spell during the 2022/23 season, in a deal worth in the region of £42million.
But Felix has once again flattered to deceive in a Chelsea shirt, managing just one goal and an assist in the Premier League this season, and there is mounting speculation that the attacking midfielder could be set for the exit door.
Felix is said to have grown frustrated with his increasingly peripheral role in west London under Enzo Maresca and Villa have been closely monitoring the situation, with Unai Emery a known admirer of the Portugal international.
With Jhon Duran on the verge of a lucrative switch to the Saudi Pro League, Felix has been identified as a top target to help fill the void left by the Colombian forward. The latest reports indicate he has even asked to leave Stamford Bridge.
‘The first thing we are going to do with the money we receive from the sale of Duran is to keep a portion of it because of the Financial Fair Play rules, which are very demanding,’ Villa chief Monchi told Spanish publication AS.
‘A significant part of the income will go towards that. Then there are names, one of them being Joao.
‘Emery likes him, because in the three transfer markets I have been in, the fourth with this one, he has always been mentioned and has been a small object of desire for Emery. But it is complicated and I don’t know if we will be able to do it.
‘He is a player with a lot of quality and Emery has been able to recover players who were considered lost in his history as a coach. He trusts in Joao’s talent.
‘Previously, Aston Villa were in the Europa Conference League and he wanted the Champions League, that’s why he went to Barcelona.
‘Then, in the operation with Conor Gallagher and Atletico, he had to enter into negotiations with Chelsea and we couldn’t get it done.’
While acknowledging that Duran has ‘tremendous potential’, Monchi says the money being offered from Saudi Arabia is nigh-on impossible for both the club and the player to turn down.
‘He is a player with tremendous potential but these types of offers, for the club and the player, are difficult to reject,’ he added.
‘Between fixed and variable amounts, it will be close to €85million. There are a few small details left and for the player it is an incredible economic leap.
‘You are not only a sporting manager, but also a financial manager for a club. These offers are difficult to reject, because they increase his salary fivefold.’
Monchi picked out three huge names he would sign for Villa if money was no object this January.
‘It’s complicated, because it depends on the profiles. If you ask me for a winger it would be Lamine [Yamal]. He will mark an era, he’s different, he’s very talented,’ he replied.
‘A striker, [Erling] Haaland. A box-to-box player, [Jude] Bellingham.
‘It’s true that I really like Bellingham’s profile. Strong, not lacking in quality, with a goal and an attacking ability. I consider him the most complete.’
Monchi went on to lift the lid on Villa’s interest in Paris Saint-Germain forward Marco Asensio, formerly of Real Madrid, a player that Emery has ‘always had in mind’.
‘It’s a similar case to Joao Felix, there is also an important love affair,’ he went on.
‘Shortly before my arrival, Aston Villa tried to sign him and came close, but he went to PSG.
‘He is a player that Emery has always had in mind because he believes in his quality.
‘Arsenal? I think they are more looking for a striker, because of the injuries they have had. What I do know is that Asensio is not playing.’
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