Report: Liverpool thought ‘special’ playmaker was too expensive in 2019, now Arsenal could sign him

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Liverpool considered signing Joao Felix back in 2019, according to reports. The playmaker could now join Arsenal on loan.

This comes from the Liverpool Echo. They claim that Liverpool did consider signing Joao Felix back in 2019 when he was leaving Benfica.

He eventually joined Atletico Madrid, of course, for a massive £113m fee. That amount of money was the reason Liverpool didn’t end up moving for the player. Felix, they decided, simply wasn’t worth that.

But the talented playmaker could be on the move again this month. Things haven’t worked out in Madrid and Atletico are open to a loan deal. They’d want a buying club to cover his yearly cost, however, which the Athletic put at around £18.6m.

Arsenal are apparently considering it now. They’ve lost Gabriel Jesus for the next while and view Felix as an ideal addition. If they can secure him, they’d get the player Liverpool did want back in 2019.

Liverpool considered signing Joao Felix

£113m was a ridiculous amount but Atletico felt they needed to do something drastic. They’d lost Antoine Griezmann to Barcelona and thought they’d secure one of the game’s next biggest stars.

But it didn’t work and now the player could be off on a temporary move – albeit a very expensive one. It’s a unique opportunity for clubs to get someone who is ‘special’, in Alvaro Morata’s words, on what is essentially a trial ahead of the summer.

We can’t imagine Liverpool move, however. Felix is a classy player but not what the Reds need right now. They’re desperately in need of a solid midfielder rather than a technical playmaker.

Funnily enough, he’s not the only Portuguese playmaker they considered at the time. Liverpool supposedly looked at Bruno Fernandes, too, but decided he was best as a no.10 – a position Jurgen Klopp doesn’t use. Manchester United would eventually pounce for £60m+.