Atletico Madrid give Joao Felix the go-ahead to join Barcelona in a loan-to-buy deal

After Joao Felix’s shocking admission about wanting to sign for Barcelona last night, there seems to be a major development on that front.

The Atletico Madrid wantaway star admitted that he dreams of playing for the Blaugrana and would jump at the chance to sign for them.

“I’d love to play for Barça. Barcelona has always been my first choice and I’d love to join Barça. It was always my dream since I was a kid. If it happens, it will be a dream come true for me,” he said.

It is no secret that Barça president Joan Laporta is an admirer of the forward as well and the club have tried signing him previously.

So, following Felix’s comments yesterday, reports emerged claiming that Barcelona were already trying to find ways to sign the 23-year-old in the current transfer window.

Now, Manu Sainz of AS has an update on the matter, stating that Atletico Madrid have given Felix the go-ahead to join Barcelona this summer on a loan deal with an option to purchase.

It is further suggested that the transfer would fit into the economic reality of the La Liga champions and things could progress swiftly over the next week or so.

Joao Felix had come close to signing for Barcelona in the winter window of 2022. There was an agreement between the two clubs over a shared-ownership deal until Los Rojiblancos backed out of the operation.

But, the 23-year-old has continued to dream about a move to the Catalan giants. And, now, that dream has a good chance of becoming reality, with Atletico Madrid open to sanctioning his transfer to Barcelona on a loan-to-buy arrangement.

An alternate report from Mundo Deportivo stated that Los Colchoneros were furious with Felix’s statements, claiming that it was disrespectful towards the club.

At the same time, the message coming through from the Metropolitano is: “The player’s agent knows perfectly the conditions that must be met for Joao to be able to leave the club. From then on we have nothing to comment on this matter.”

Given the fact that Felix has had a falling-out with Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid would be addressing an issue by getting rid of the forward while a good season at Barça could also boost his value up for the future.

As for the Blaugrana, it is a low-cost opportunity to sign a talented player on loan and if it clicks, there will be great benefits for the team.