Barcelona prioritising 28-year-old maestro over Joao Felix, Xavi ‘loves’ the player

Over the past few days, there has been a lot of talk surrounding Joao Felix and a potential transfer to FC Barcelona after he declared his desire to join the La Liga champions.

Barcelona, for their part, admire the 23-year-old Portuguese international, with president Joan Laporta, in particular, a big fan.

However, according to Roger Torello of Mundo Deportivo, Felix is not a priority target for Barcelona as the Catalans have their sights firmly set on Manchester City midfield maestro Bernardo Silva.

The 28-year-old has been a long-term target for the La Liga champions and the interest has not faded one bit. Xavi ‘loves’ Silva and wants the 28-year-old in his squad to enhance the creative profile of the team.

Silva, for his part, also dreams of joining Barcelona and there is a feeling within the club that a serious effort should be made to sign the superstar midfielder.

As far as Felix is concerned, Xavi does not see a place for the Portuguese international in his squad currently. The 23-year-old’s profile is not something that the Barcelona manager is desiring to have on the team right now. Furthermore, he is not known for his defensive work rate – something that is a must in Xavi’s setup.

As such, the club have informed his agent, Jorge Mendes, that Felix is not a priority for them right now, but it is Silva who they wish to sign this summer.

But, competition from PSG and Saudi Arabia complicates matters while Manchester City are also trying to hand him a new contract. At the same time, the financial situation at the club does not make the transfer conducive either.

Irrespective of that, Barcelona wish to make an effort to try and sign Silva. For that to happen though some important sales will be needed and only time will tell whether a transfer is possible before the window closes.