Barcelona new signing was not offered the number 10 jersey – report

Joao Felix finally completed his long-awaited move to Barcelona this window, and he has seemingly arrived with the complete desire to help the club out as they look to slowly inch their way out of sporting and financial distress.

The Portuguese youngster had come under a fair bit of flak last season at Atletico Madrid after slowly growing distant with the club and it was only made worse by an unsuccessful loan stint at Chelsea.

After returning to Madrid, he was also booed by the fans and it seemed like he was in dire need of a change.

Now, at Barcelona, he has a loan stint to try and turn his fortunes around and he is aware of the magnitude of the opportunity.

With Ansu Fati’s departure to Brighton, the number 10 shirt remains open, and while it is traditionally given to a player like Felix (especially profile-wise) he was not offered the coveted jersey according to SPORT.

Felix did not ask for the ’10’ either

The Spanish outlet also say that Felix did not even ask for the number 10, given the significance of the jersey at the club.

But mainly, with the turbulence he has faced recently, he seems to have his head firmly screwed on his shoulders and is aware that he has to prove himself on the pitch before making any demands.

He also reportedly wanted to get rid of the image created in the media during his troubles at Atleti, which portrayed him as a bit of a diva.

Hence, he also reportedly chose the less media-friendly number 14 shirt, and only wants the attention to be on him for the right reasons – good performances on the pitch.

It would also be unwise to hand Felix such an important number if his continuity at the club past the 2023-24 season is not assured, and because the club count on Ansu Fati to develop and return in the best shape to continue as Barcelona’s 10.