Atletico Madrid star Joao Felix wants to join FC Barcelona this summer according to AS.
The Portuguese became Atleti’s most expensive player of all time when the team from the Spanish capital paid 126 million euros ($141.5 million) for his services in 2019.
This was also the summer that Barca agreed to pay 120 million euros ($135 million) to Felix’s club for Antoine Griezmann, and the youngster immediately took the number 7 shirt of the French player.
However, four years on, it’s safe to sɑy the big moves haven’t gone well for either of them.
With Griezmann now back at the Metropolitano after joining from Barca, Felix, who was loaned to Chelsea in January, wants to repeat the trajectory of the World Cup champions according to AS.
The Madrid-based newspaper explained that Felix thought his fate would be decided before July 10. However, he instead became one of the “victims of the [Kylian Mbappe] case. ]” which Paris Saint-Germain will not deal with. a move for him while Griezmann’s team-mate Les Bleus is still on their books and has not yet moved to Real Madrid.
AS added that above all, Barca is Felix’s “impossible dream” and the striker aspires to one day become Don Blagurana.
Given Barca’s economic problems, meeting his price tag is nearly impossible.
One need only look at the case of Griezmann to see that Atleti did not sell cheaply to the Catalan side, and they also rejected an offer of 80 million euros ($90 million) for Felix from Chelsea in the winter. last.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Barca is currently trying to raise similar funds for Bernardo Silva, and will strugglҽ to acquire even one of Jorge Mendes’ two clients let alone both.
With Barca president Joan Laporta, a famous Felix fan, and the 23-year-old seemingly eager to move to Catalonia, all both sides can do is blame themselves for the fɑct of the transfer. The January 2022 concession was never made.
According to AS, Barca had reached an agreement for Felix, but troubles in the Financial Fair Play law forced Laporta to withdrɑw and decided to pay a hefty sum of 55 million euros ($62 million) for Ferran Torres.
About 18 months later, Barca is now trying to sell Torres, who is not in head coach Xavi Hernandez’s main plans but is having a hard time finding a buyer.
Atleti is touted as a potential loan destination, and Barca is also considering the possibility of temporarily moving the Spaniard out and including an optional purchɑsҽ clause in the deal according to SPORT.
Meanwhile, Felix waits to learn of his fate and see if anyone comes to take his place. With Barca struggling financially and Mbappe likely to see through the rest of his contract until next June, Felix could be moved to another term at the behest of Atleti coach Diego Diego. Simeon.