Diego Simeone has refused to rule out the possibility of Joao Felix leaving the club in January

The 22-year-old has struggled to consistently replicate his best form since Atletico smashed their transfer record to sign the forward from Benfica for €126 million in 2019.

Felix missed Euro 2020 due to an ankle injury

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has refused to rule out the possibility of Joao Felix leaving the club in January. The 22-year-old has struggled to consistently replicate his best form since Atletico smashed their transfer record to sign the forward from Benfica for €126 million in 2019. Injuries and increased competition also mean he has found regular first-team opportunities limited this term, sparking rumours of an exit during the winter window. Felix’s struggles this term have been exacerbated by an ankle injury suffered playing for Portugal at Euro 2020 that caused him to miss the start of the season before picking up a calf problem in November. The summer signings of Matheus Cunha and Antoine Griezmann further limited his opportunities, with Felix making just six starts in all competitions so far, scoring just once.

According to Simeone, Joao is an important piece of the Atletico team

When asked whether the forward would look to secure a move away from the club next month, Simeone told a news conference: “I always understand everything, I’m open to everything. The most important thing is the team. Joao is an important piece of our team.” However, Simeone did also appear to offer Felix an olive branch, revealing how impressed he was with his second-half substitute appearance against Real Madrid last weekend. “He has to repeat performances like the one he gave the other day at the Bernabeu,” Simeone added. “He played 30-35 minutes and showed all the talent he has. Let’s hope he repeats it because that’s the player we need. I’ve spoken a lot with him. I don’t have anything to explain to you about what needs to be worked on the inside.”

“Seeing Joao for just a few minutes, you realise he’s a great player. He’s going through a situation of growth; we’ve seen it with Portugal and maybe here too. It’s about maturing and growing to find the consistency that football demands.”