One of the biggest surprises of the past summer market was the definitive departure of João Félix, who was acquired by Chelsea for 50 million euros. The reality is that the Portuguese international hasn't been able to find consistency since his first loan to the English club in 2023. He didn't succeed at FC Barcelona and in his second stint at Stamford Bridge, he ended up moving to AC Milan, on loan, until the end of this season.
However, before going on loan to Barça, he was the reason why Atlético de Madrid didn't sign one of the most promising forwards in South America. The player himself and his father claimed that they already had an agreement with the red-and-white team, but the lack of financial leeway derailed the operation. Now, he is one of the big stars of Serie A and his market value has skyrocketed in recent years.
João Félix's Latest Blow
The last two seasons of the Portuguese striker have been more than disappointing, failing both at Chelsea and FC Barcelona, changing scenery this winter market. The reality is that he hasn't been able to deliver his best performance away from Simeone, something many fans constantly remind him of. Now, he has arrived at AC Milan, where he debuted as a scorer against Roma and is expected to have more prominence than in the Premier League.
However, after returning from his first loan at Chelsea, he pressured Atlético de Madrid to let him go to Barça on loan in the summer of 2023. His refusal to accept any other offer caused the red-and-white team to miss out on signing Mateo Retegui, who was then a player for Tigre. The Italian international was ready to make the leap to Europe, and there was an agreement between all parties for him to land at the Metropolitano.
Mateo Retegui, Europe's Revelation
The footballer and his father explained that everything was set for him to be under Simeone's orders, but there wasn't enough financial leeway. Finally, Genoa paid 15 million euros to incorporate him and sold him last summer for 20 million to Atalanta in Bergamo. There, he is showing his best version, scoring 23 goals and providing four assists in the 33 matches he has played this season.
At 25 years old, he has a market value of 35 million, a figure higher than what Atlético de Madrid was going to pay when the player was in Argentina. Obviously, he would have been a high-quality reinforcement, as he already had a spot in Italy's senior national team when he was still playing for Tigre. Now, teams like Arsenal and Manchester United are closely monitoring him, and he could end up moving to England in the next season.