According to reports, Atletico Madrid has agreed to let Joao Felix complete his “dream” move to Barcelona.
The Blaugrana were close to signing the Portuguese winger on loan in December 2022. Nevertheless, Atletico pulled out of that deal and instead picked Chelsea as Felix’s preferred destination. This time, though, things may be different since, according to AS, the Rojiblanocs have given Felix permission to join their archrivals. Any agreement will contain a buy option, allowing Barcelona to sign him permanently at the end of his loan period.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: In a recent interview with Fabrizio Romano, Felix admitted that he would “love to play for Barca” and the Liga champions have always been his “first choice” as it was his “dream” to don their jersey since he was a child. Barca president Joan Laporta would love to welcome him at Camp Nou and they have already crunched the numbers that would take them to execute the operation, keeping in mind their fragile economic condition.
AND WHAT’S MORE: Felix has struggled to find his feet under Diego Simeone and has netted just 34 times in 131 appearances for Atletico. His loan spell with Chelsea saw him score four goals in 20 Premier League appearances and has been linked with a permanent move away from the Wanda Metropolitano, with Barcelona now emerging as the favourites for his signature.
IN TWO PHOTOS:Getty ImagesGetty Images
WHAT NEXT? Atletico and Barcelona are figuring out the details of the transfer and Felix will hope to finalise a transfer to Camp Nou before the start of the new season.