Aston Villa's top transfer target would be a major coup

Joao Felix was once seen as the golden boy of European football. He rose to prominence with Benfica, scoring 15 goals and registering seven assists in 26 games during the 2018-19 season. He was subsequently sold to Atletico Madrid the following summer for a then-world-record fee of £113 million.

Since moving to Spain, Felix has struggled to reach his full potential. Over the past 18 months, he has been loaned out to Chelsea and Barcelona. While his tenure with Barca certainly reminded everyone of his natural talent and star-level potential, he didn't do enough to convince Madrid he's worth keeping around.

According to John Townley of Birmingham Live , Aston Villa are interested in acquiring Felix to help fill the void left behind by Moussa Diaby, who is heading to the Saudi Pro League after one season in Birmingham.

"Felix is the perfect candidate for this role and Emery is a big fan," Townley reported. "The 24-year-old has struggled to realise his potential after a £113m move to Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2019. He spent three whole seasons under Diego Simeone, before joining Chelsea on loan for the second half of the 2022-23 campaign. Villa were interested in landing the forward in that January window and their interest hasn't faded."

Felix would be a major signal of intent from Villa. The Claret and Blue are returning to Europe's premier competition for the first time since the 1982-83 season. Adding a player with Felix's undoubted talent would show that they intend to make an impact and potentially ensure that they can compete to remain in the tournament beyond the current season.

Villa may struggle to negotiate a transfer fee with Madrid. Atletico will undoubtedly want to recoup the incredible sum they parted with to bring Felix to Spain. Fortunately, Villa's sale of Diaby has left them in a strong financial position. Now, with the ability to offer Champions League football and a widely respected coach in Unai Emery, Villa's chances of landing a true star talent look better than ever. Of course, they won't be counting their lucky stars just yet; a deal still has to get over the finish line.