When Griezmann signed for Atlético at the last moment of the summer transfer market, in the Madrid club they rubbed their hands: Gil Marín had achieved the signing yearned for by Simeone, a player with a quality above the rest, a scorer and who knew the house perfectly. Some, however, grimaced. Griezmann could come to overshadow João Félix, in a decisive season for the definitive explosion of the Portuguese footballer.
For some reasons or for others, João Félix has not finished giving what was expected of him and his situation causes uncertainty at Atlético. Even quite a bit of tension. The forward is a player with enormous potential, but he doesn’t play as much as he wants. In the last two games, against rivals of the stature of Real Madrid and Sevilla, he revolutionized the clash with his entry. He was not a starter in either of the two games. In the first was Griezmann. In the second the Frenchman was injured.
João Félix was the best against the Madrid team and against Sevilla he also left glimpses of his quality. But Simeone does not put him. And many do not understand that Cholo’s decision. The coach points out in a press conference yes and another also that he needs João Félix to be more regular. The voices dissatisfied with the coach’s decision wonder: “How do you regulate if you play four times?”.
His representative, for his part, airs that he is not happy at Atlético and is looking for a way out in this winter market. In La Premier they want him and Mendes slides that there is a World Cup at stake and a World Cup event is not played every day. In the event that Portugal can play the next World Cup.
At the club, on the other hand, they know that João Félix is the best player Simeone has. Neither Cerezo nor Gil Marín want to see him elsewhere. They want to see him as rojiblanco, playing and scoring goals. That’s what he came for. The Portuguese has a contract until 2026 and his market value is 70 million. He has played fourteen games, with one goal and two assists. Poor baggage for a footballer of his potential. But he missed the first three league games due to his ankle operation, then he was sanctioned, then he injured himself again …
The picture is not easy in this case. Even those who until a few days ago asked for the renewal of Luis Suárez almost for life at Atlético are unhappy with the Uruguayan’s performance and ask that João Félix start once. And Atlético is playing it in Granada. We will see if Cholo continues with the same approach as in the last games or if he starts.