Atletico Madrid CEO confirms Joao Felix is up for sale due to lack of game time and relationship with Diego Simeone

Atletico Madrid CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin has confirmed that Joao Felix is up for sale due to his relationship with manager Diego Simeone and a lack of playing time.

The Portugal international has scored three goals and assisted as many in 12 La Liga games this season. However, seven of those appearances have come from the bench.

The 23-year-old is at an age where he will need regular playing time to continue his development. Moreover, national team managers take note of a player's level of involvement at the club level.

Speaking to TVE (h/t Fabrizio Romano), Marin confirmed:

"João Felix has top level but because of his relationship with Simeone and game time… we feel that makes sense to consider potential bids to sell him. I’d love for João to continue, but this is the current situation."

Atletico Madrid spent a cool €126 million in transfer fees to sign him from SL Benfica in the summer of 2019. He has been decent for Los Colchoneros, but for that amount of money, they would have expected more from him.

He has scored just 33 goals and provided 18 assists in 129 games for them in the past three-and-a-half years. His contract runs until the summer of 2026 at the Wanda Metropolitano.

If Simeone doesn't fancy him, Atletico Madrid would be wise to offload him as soon as possible. Otherwise, each passing season could shave off millions from the Portuguese striker's price tag.

Felix is currently with Portugal at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He started the last 16 clash against Switzerland on December 6, with his team leading 4-1 with 65 minutes on the clock at the time of writing.

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Atletico Madrid have plenty of firepower in attack even without Joao Felix

Alvaro Morata and Antoine Griezmann are evidently Simeone's trusted attackers, with Matheus Cunha another player Felix has to compete with for minutes.

Atletico signed Griezmann from Barcelona in October after paying €20 million to turn his initial two-year loan deal into a permanent transfer. This has hampered Felix's chances of becoming a regular starter at the club.

He hasn't started in Atletico's last eight La Liga games and has completed 90 minutes in just one of their league games this season. A move away from the club could also benefit the player.

Simeone's teams aren't known for their attacking flair and endeavors. A new team with different tactics could aid Felix's development. Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United were linked with him earlier this season.