Joao Felix Reminiscent of Antoine Griezmann, Could Play in Any Team, Says Tiago
June 4, 2019
Former Atletico Madrid midfielder Tiago has talked up Benfica talent Joao Felix, comparing him to Antoine Griezmann and saying he could play for any club in the world amid transfer links to Los Rojiblancos, Manchester United, Manchester City, Juventus and Real Madrid.
Per Goal's Dejan Kalinic, Tiago―now an assistant coach at Atletico―told El Partidazo de COPE he expects Benfica to hold out for more than €80 million for the forward: "He could play in any team in the world. I don't think Benfica will accept selling him for €80 million. He's a player who reminds me a bit of Griezmann."
He also spoke about former team-mate Griezmann, saying everyone at Atletico expects him to join Barcelona. Marca's David G. Medina previously reported Los Rojiblancos could replace the France international with the in-demand Felix.
He has also been strongly linked to Italian giants Juventus. According to Portuguese reports (h/t AS' Jaime Candil), Benfica have already rejected an offer from the Bianconeri, who want to unite Felix with Portugal team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo. The two share an agent in Jorge Mendes.
According to Correio da Manha (h/t MailOnline), Premier League giants Manchester United are willing to offer a total package worth more than £100 million:
City have also been strongly linked, and Tifo Football analysed whether he would fit manager Pep Guardiola's system:
The 19-year-old starlet had a breakout 2018-19 campaign, scoring 15 goals in the Portuguese Liga NOS and adding seven assists. He played a crucial role in Benfica's run to the title, as they beat rivals Porto to the top spot by two points.
His finest performance of the season came in the UEFA Europa League, where he scored a hat-trick in a 4-2 win over Eintracht Frankfurt:
Frankfurt would win the quarter-final return leg 2-0 and advance in the tournament thanks to the away-goal rule.
Like Griezmann, Felix does his best work as a secondary striker who is allowed to roam the attacking third freely. He frequently drops back into a midfield slot to collect the ball, but is equally adept at finding space in or around the box.
Benfica have a sterling reputation for unearthing and cultivating talent, earning big sums on the likes of Ederson, Raul Jimenez, Nelson Semedo, Victor Lindelof and Renato Sanches in recent years.
They don't tend to sell their prized youngsters on the cheap, so interested clubs will likely have to cough up a massive transfer fee to land Felix this summer.