Bayern Munich explored signing of Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid
The summer transfer window has been full of surprises for Bayern Munich fans. The Bavarian club pulled off a big signing by swiftly concluding the transfer of Sadio Mane from Liverpool. Die Roten is currently focussing on signing Mathijs De Ligt from Juventus. Hasan Salihamidzic travelled to Turin on Monday to hold talks with the Italian club.
Apart from Mane, Die Roten also explored other attacking options this summer. According to Sport1, Bayern had approached Atletico Madrid to discuss the signing of Joao Felix. The Spanish club was quick to say that the Portuguese forward is not for sale. Rekordmeister would have failed to sign him even if they had tabled a bid worth €80 million.
Atletico Madrid paid a fee close to €120 million for signing Felix from Benfica in 2019. The German Champions wouldn’t have reached that figure, but Sport1 does insist that Benjamin Pavard could have been included in this operation. As things stand, Felix is unlikely to leave the Spanish capital for Bavaria this summer.
Felix has not been at his best at Atletico Madrid, but he still managed to have 43 goal contributions in just over 100 appearances. It is a significant output for a player that has just turned 22. Atletico Madrid has paid a big fee for his potential. It is the same reason why Die Roten showed interest in him.
For now, Bayern doesn’t need another forward after the signing of Mane. The Bavarian club may have to explore the market if Robert Lewandowski manages to seal a move to FC Barcelona. The Polish striker has publicly expressed his wish to leave Bavaria this summer on several occasions.
Even if Lewandowski ends up leaving, Bayern is unlikely to make a move for Felix due to the transfer demands of Atletico Madrid. He will be a player of interest for Die Roten going forward, so a move in the future cannot be ruled out if he continues to develop well in Spain.
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Meanwhile, Sport1 is also reporting that Die Roten is confident about extending the contract of Serge Gnabry. The German winger is expected to make a decision regarding a new contract in the coming days after he reported for pre-season training last week.
Gnabry’s contract renewal will be a big boost for Die Roten. The German Champions can focus solely on the signing of De Ligt and eventually on the replacement of Lewandowski if a deal with Barcelona is agreed. Moreover, Bayern is also keen on signing Konrad Laimer from RB Leipzig after agreeing personal terms with the Austrian midfielder.