Report: Bayern Munich tried to sign Joao Felix this summer but Atletico Madrid said no

Now here’s a surprise — according to a report by Sport1, Bayern Munich seriously considered signing Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid this summer. Even after securing the transfer of Sadio Mané from Liverpool, the Bayern bosses made enquiries for the young Portuguese forward. Did they see him as a potential replacement for the (potentially) outgoing Robert Lewandowski? We’ll never know, because Atletico rejected any deals outright.

Per the report, even a bid of €80m wouldn’t have satisfied Andrea Berta, the sporting director of the Madrid-based club. Atletico purchased Joao Felix from Benfica for a staggering €120m in 2019 — partially funded by Bayern’s €80m purchase fee for Lucas Hernandez that same year — and are looking for at least a three-digit million figure to be convinced to sell. These numbers eventually convinced Bayern Munich to pull out.

According to the report, the Bavarians were willing to include Benjamin Pavard in the deal to lower the price, but Atletico were having none of it. The Frenchman has seemingly been relegated to the role of human discount coupon this summer, as the club would later offer him to Juventus in order to facilitate the transfer of Matthijs de Ligt. The Italians also rejected the deal, which has prompted Bayern to go all-in with a rumored bid of over €75m. You can read more about that story here.

The links to Joao Felix may seem strange from an outsider’s perspective, but this wouldn’t be the first time that someone associated with Bayern showed the Portuguese youngster some interest. Back in 2020, Hansi Flick was seen speaking to Felix while the player was catching up with his former teammate Tiago Dantas following Bayern’s game against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League group stages. We even had a video of the event:

As for where Felix fits in the Bayern starting lineup — Sport1 speculates that he could have been used as a replacement for Robert Lewandowski or even Serge Gnabry, both of whom have been linked with moves away from the club this summer. Their sales would certainly free up funds to make the transfer possible, but for now it looks like Atletico Madrid will not budge. Felix still has four years remaining on his contract, so Bayern have no leverage.

Keep an eye on this one, it looks like a transfer Brazzo may want to revisit in a few years. In the meantime, French youngster Mathys Tel seems to have caught the club’s eye, and Bayern are preparing a new bid to sign him from Stade Rennais this summer.