According to Spanish digital outlet OK Diario, as reported by Le10Sport, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are monitoring 22-year-old Atletico Madrid star Joao Felix as Kylian Mbappe's future at the club remains uncertain.
Felix hasn't been in the best of form for Los Rojiblancos this season. He has only scored three goals and provided three assists in 17 games across competitions for Diego Simeone's side.
The Portuguese prodigy joined Atletico Madrid for a massive fee of €126 million from Benfica in 2019. While his talent and ability are beyond doubt, the potential hasn't transformed as much in his performances as the player would have liked.
The Parisians remain uncertain about Kylian Mbappe's future. Hence, Felix is a player they have turned their attention to. While Felix has a contract that runs until 2026, PSG are believed to be the club best placed to sign him. The forward's agent Jorge Mendes prefers the Paris club as the destination for his client if he is to leave Spain.
He was once considered one of the hottest prospects in Europe. In 128 games since joining Atletico Madrid, Felix has scored 32 goals and provided 18 assists. To conclude that he has underperformed won't be an unfair assessment.
However, Felix is still only 22 and the best days of his footballing career are certainly ahead of him. He has attracted interest from European giants PSG and Bayern Munich.
Felix's future at Atletico Madrid has been linked to Simeone's stay at the helm of the club. If the Argentine remains in charge, Felix might seek a move away.
PSG manager Christophe Galtier provides an encouraging injury update on Kylian Mbappe
A few French hearts must have dropped when Kylian Mbappe came off the field during PSG's 2-1 away win against Lorient on November 6.
With Paulo Pogba and N'Golo Kante already out and Raphael Varane being a doubt, an injury scare for Mbappe would have hurt Didier Deschamps' side badly.
PSG manager Christophe Galtier addressed the player's issues as he said there is nothing to worry about Mbappe. He spoke to the media after the game (transcribed by L'Equipe via 90Min):
“Muscle fatigue, but no worries. There is no alert on a specific area. It’s simply fatigue, linked to the sequence of matches. The playing conditions were difficult. The ground was hard to master technically. And then we faced an opponent who played hard and gave us problems in the second half.
"He came out tired in the game against Juventus on Wednesday night. … It is a very busy schedule. There can be some apprehension. Everyone is listening to his body in this pre-World Cup and pre-list period.”
Galtier's men will face Auxerre at home on November 13 in their last game before the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.