Aston Villa have spoken to Jorge Mendes about signing Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix, Fabrizio Romano has informed GiveMeSport.

However, the transfer expert says the 23-year-old is expecting "something different", making a move to Villa Park unlikely.

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Aston Villa transfer news - Joao Felix

Journalist Dean Jones recently told GMS that Villa and Unai Emery are in the picture to sign Felix. At the same time, though, he feels the Portuguese star would choose several other clubs ahead of the Villans.

Felix's spell at the Wanda Metropolitano looks to be coming to an end, with Atletico CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin recently hinting that the player wants to leave.

"I'd love him to stay personally, but I don't think that's the player's idea," Gil Marin told TVE (via ESPN).

Felix currently has a Transfermarkt value of around £43m, but reports, including one from the Evening Standard, claim Atletico want £86m for their forward.

What has Fabrizio Romano said about Joao Felix and Aston Villa?

Romano has told GMS that Villa have explored the possibility of signing Felix but face a difficult task landing him.

On the Villans' interest, the Italian journalist said: "For sure, Aston Villa are trying for Joao Felix. They had a conversation with his agent Jorge Mendes and the relationship is very good, but the reality is that the player is expecting something different. So I think it's not going to be an easy one."

Read more: January Transfer Window 2023: When Does It Begin, Rumours and Everything You Need To Know

How big a coup would Joao Felix be for Aston Villa?

He would be a massive one. After all, this is a player who cost Atletico £113m when he signed from Benfica back in 2019, as reported by BBC Sport.

Felix has obviously had his struggles in the Spanish capital, making just five starts in La Liga this season (via Transfermarkt). However, he is still an incredibly talented player who can be hard to stop.

According to WhoScored, he won 2.3 fouls per game at the World Cup, which was the second-highest average in Portugal's squad. Most importantly, though, Felix was able to come up with a goal and a couple of assists as his side reached the quarter-final stage of the tournament.

Has Felix done enough to earn another big-money move next month or in the summer? Probably not, so it is hard to imagine any club paying an £86m transfer fee for him or his £240,000-a-week wages. Capology states that the former Benfica man is currently earning that at Atletico.

But for much less or on a loan deal, you certainly would expect Villa and others to be queuing up for him.

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