Atletico Madrid were the envy of world football in the summer when they sealed the signing of Joao Felix from Benfica.

The Portuguese forward cost Diego Simeone's side a cool £113m, but the hefty price tag was seen as a wise investment - especially after they sold Antoine Griezmann to Barcelona.

Initially, Felix looked the ideal replacement for the Frenchman, but things have turned sour for the 20-year-old in recent months.

Injuries have taken their toll and like many attack-minded players before him, Felix is struggling to adapt to Simeone's unique footballing philosophy.

The adaptation process has gone so bad that the young forward has now not contributed a goal or an assist in 659 minutes of action for Atletico and only has two goals to his name in 12 La Liga appearances.

It has led to Simeone hinting at whether Felix has the 'heart and emotion' to succeed at the Spanish club.

The boss said, per Daily Mail: "Every player has a different personality, every player needs a different amount of time to settle.

"We try to succeed in getting every signing to experience Atletico with a lot of heart and emotion, because apart from their talent they need to be committed and dedicated.

"When the passion of playing for Atletico comes to them, things come naturally to everyone, just like with Savic when he arrived and Koke."

The situation is developing into one similar to that of Ousmane Dembele at Barcelona.

No one questions the talent of the players in question, but sometimes, the hand just does not fit the glove.

Felix has also not helped his cause by waxing lyrical about his own personal happiness while with Benfica.

He said: "Now I see how happy I was at Benfica. I plan to return one day and leave my mark on the club."

'Now I see how happy I was' is a rather damning quote, a clear indication that all is not well in the relationship between club and player.

And according to El Chiringuito, Felix is 'tired of defending and not attacking'.

Just like Thomas Lemar, do not be surprised to see Felix transfer listed by the club sooner rather than later if the current trends continue.