Amid his wish to depart the club and his candid declaration of wanting to move to LaLiga competitors Barcelona, Atletico Madrid captain Koke has emphasized that Joao Felix is “training well” in preseason training.
Presently, the team finds itself in Monterrey, Mexico, gearing up for a fixture against Real Sociedad as a component of their worldwide journey.
This comes subsequent to their recent 2-1 triumph over Manchester City in South Korea.
“Joao is training well, he’s calm,” Koke told El Larguero when asked about reports of a rift between the Portugal international and the rest of the squad. “Each player has their mentality, wanting to play in one place or another.
“But when you’re at a club you must respect it, and that’s what Joao is doing, he’s working like everyone else.”
Coach Diego Simeone — who said earliere this week that “no-one is more important than the club” when asked about Felix — was also asked about his fears of losing key players before the transfer window closes, in his prematch news conference.
“We’ll have to compete [with Real Madrid and Barcelona] as always,” he said. “We hope the [transfer] market allows us to have this balanced group [of players].
“Clubs, like players and agents, have their work to do. We have a balanced team, there are good players in every position, but then there are the needs that each person has… Until [August] 31st you’re there waiting, and you have to think about a plan A or a plan B. A huge offer can arrive, for a player and the club.”