21 April 2023 , 17:29
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Manchester United have been warned off a move for Joao Felix by former striker Dimitar Berbatov.
Manager Erik ten Hag is planning a huge clear out this summer, with 12 players set to be booted out the door at Old Trafford. And the need for an overall was laid bare on Thursday night amid a harrowing Europa League exit in Sevilla.
The Dutch boss is also outlining targets to bolster his squad, with United having been linked to a move for current Chelsea loanee Joao Felix. The Portuguese prodigy arrived from Atletico Madrid in January, but has struggled to make an impact after being sent off on debut at Fulham.
A move for Felix would set the Red Devils back around £90million, with the Spanish club keen to recoup much of the £113million they forked out in 2019. But Berbatov, who won two Premier League titles with United in a four year spell at the club, has questioned where the 23-year-old would fit in.
“Where would Felix play exactly? It’s easy to spread rumours but in reality, you don’t want a situation where you buy a player for the name or for the sake of buying," he told Betfred. "You will then have too many players who want to play and they all can’t play at the same time.
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"The club has to sign players that are going to play, fit well into Erik ten Hag’s system and know exactly what their job is when they play. If you have big names at your club, and they’re not playing as much as they believe they should be doing in their mind, then they’re not going to be as committed as they should be when they come off the bench for 10 or 15 minutes. That would be a big problem."
Joao Felix is currently on loan at Chelsea (Manuel Reino Berengui/Getty Images)The Bulgarian himself knows all about the pressure of a big money move to United. He joined in 2008 from Tottenham for £30.75million, and went on to score 56 times for the club in 149 appearances.
And despite his apparent indifference towards a move for Felix, he did also clarify his thoughts on the player's ability: “Joao Felix is a great player that’s certainly capable of making a difference, but I don’t believe he will be going to Manchester United."
The notion of the star remaining at Stamford Bridge beyond this season seems to be dwindling, after he was left out of their clash with Real Madrid last Tuesday. And a return to Atletico is also unlikely after falling out of favour with Diego Simeone.