Barcelona president ‘loves’ wantaway Atletico Madrid star, economic problems prevent move

Barcelona have had their eyes on a certain Joao Felix ever since he burst onto the scenes as a teenager at SL Benfica. The Blaugrana had shown an interest in signing the Portuguese ace before his mega-money move to Atletico Madrid in 2019.

The interest has not waned as Barça have continued keeping tabs on Felix’s situation. In fact, reports suggested that the Catalans had tried to get him included as part of a deal that saw Antoine Griezmann return to Atletico last year, but were unsuccessful.

And now, according to journalist David Bernabeu Reverter, Barcelona president Joan Laporta continues to ‘love’ Felix, but a move is unlikely to materialise due to the club’s well-known economic problems.

Felix, 23, has had a rough start to the season at Atletico Madrid, where he has had a falling out with manager Diego Simeone.

The club’s CEO, Miguel Angel Gil Marin, all but confirmed earlier this month that the Portuguese ace will likely leave the club in the January transfer window.

“He is the biggest bet the club has made. I think he has the highest level in the world but for reasons that are not worth going into now, the relationship between the coach and him is not good, nor is his motivation,” Gil Marin had said.

“The reasonable thing is to think that he leaves, although I would love him to continue, but, this is not the player’s idea.”

A move to the Premier League has been spoken about, with links to the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal, while PSG have also been mentioned as a possible destination for the 23-year-old forward.

And while Barcelona president Laporta continues to admire the talents of the Portuguese international, there is just no room for the La Liga leaders to stand a chance of signing him, especially considering his wages as well as the fee that Atletico Madrid could demand for him.