Five Joao Felix transfer alternatives Aston Villa might investigate if Chelsea sign Atletico Madrid ace

Aston Villa must look elsewhere if Unai Emery targets Joao Felix joined Chelsea from Atletico Madrid.

Joao Felix is Aston Villa’s top target in the final weeks of the summer transfer season, but a prospective deal was called into question over the weekend after Chelsea was offered the opportunity to sign the Portuguese striker.

The Blues want to transfer Conor Gallagher to Atletico Madrid, who must first acquire finances by selling a player before finalising the £34 million deal for the 24-year-old. Samu Omorodion was supposed to join Chelsea in a swap deal, but that fell through.

To keep Gallagher’s transfer to Atletico alive, the Spanish club has offered Felix to Chelsea instead, perhaps throwing a blow to Villa.

Villa manager Unai Emery, who has previously spoken with Felix, will be praying the 24-year-old’s potential return to Chelsea does not happen. But if Villa miss out, they will consider their other possibilities after selling Moussa Diaby to Al-Ittihad for £50.5 million last month.

Last summer, Villa considered signing Federico Chiesa before signing Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen. The Italy international scored 12 goals in 33 Serie A games last season, his first complete season after suffering an ACL injury in January 2022.

The 26-year-old’s contract expires next summer, and he is one of several Juventus players who can leave before the summer transfer market closes.

“They are out of the project and they have to find a new club,” Juve manager Thiago Motta said earlier this month regarding a group of players, including Chiesa, who haven’t played in preseason, adding: “We are convinced this is the best decision possible.”

Donyell Malen
Malen might yet depart Borussia Dortmund by the end of the month, with the German club willing to transfer the 25-year-old. The attacker is reportedly eager to leave three years after joining from Dutch club PSV.

Dortmund value Malen at roughly £35 million, and he has 34 goals in 111 games for the German club. Despite having a distinct profile than Felix, Malen is capable of leading the line or playing in support of the striker.

Last season, he scored 13 goals in 27 Bundesliga games despite only starting 21. Max Beier, who was previously linked to Premier League clubs such as Villa, has lately joined Dortmund, giving extra competition for Malen’s place.

Ademola Lookman
Lookman has seen a rebirth at Atalanta under Gian Piero Gasperini since joining the Italian club from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2022.

He scored a hat trick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen after contributing 19 goals in 31 Serie A games last season. The Nigeria international has two years remaining on his current contract, which means he will reach the final months next summer.

Lookman previously played for Everton, Fulham, and Leicester City in the Premier League. In 2021/22, he made 26 appearances on loan with Leicester and scored six goals.

Morgan Gibbs-White
Morgan Gibbs-White is a terrific player who would be an excellent addition to the Villa squad, despite his inability to replace Watkins in the same way that Felix can.

Nottingham Forest reportedly want more than £50 million for the offensive midfielder and are under no obligation to accept lowball offers after complying with the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) at the end of June.

Brennan Johnson was sold to Tottenham Hotspur for a club record £47.5 million last year, and Forest will only accept offers significantly higher than that for Gibbs-White.

The 24-year-old joined Forest from Wolves for an initial £25 million two years ago. That cost has already increased to £30 million with add-ons.

Heorhiy Sudakov
Heorhiy Sudakov, like Gibbs-White, does not play as a second striker, but may drop into midfield to link attacks and assist a forward.

The 21-year-old has plenty of untapped talent and is being pursued by a number of prominent European clubs. Sudakov plays for Shakhtar Donetsk, which reportedly turned down bids of around £35 million from Juventus and Napoli in January.

Sudakov performed admirably in all three of Ukraine’s Euro 2024 games. Last season, the attacking midfielder scored 10 goals in 23 league games, including a Champions League goal against Barcelona.