Xavi gives approval for Barcelona to sign €50 million-rated forward on loan – Romero

As we enter the final phase of the summer transfer window of 2023, Barcelona are still working to make a few more additions to their roster.

A move for Joao Cancelo is all but complete, with the final Fair Play checks holding back an official announcement.

Now, it appears that Barça could be ready to sign Cancelo’s compatriot, Joao Felix, on loan from Atletico Madrid in the coming days.

Xavi gives the green light

Indeed, as per Gerard Romero on Jijantes, Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has given his approval for the club to sign Felix from Atletico Madrid.

The report claims that it would be a loan deal with no purchase option, with the Blaugrana being prepared to cover the entirety of the Portuguese international’s wages.

This development comes after reports last night claimed that Xavi and Deco were not on board with the idea of signing the 23-year-old, whose market value stands at €50 million, despite club president Joan Laporta insisting on it.

Furthermore, earlier today, it was suggested that Felix could be on his way to Saudi Arabia as a move to Barça would be difficult due to the club being unable to afford his wages.

But it appears that both those issues have been addressed, as Xavi has given his OK for Barcelona to go ahead with the loan signing of Joao Felix, with the club prepared to take on his entire wages.

Romero further states that Barcelona have informed Atletico Madrid of the same and if they are willing to accept these conditions, the operation might go through.

Los Colchoneros have been insistent that they want any club interested in signing Felix to not only cover his wages but also pay a loan fee corresponding to his amortisation costs. So, it will be interesting to see if they are willing to accept Barça’s terms.

Even if they do, quite how the Blaugrana manage to go about his registration remains to be seen, given their Financial Fair Play situation. The pending €40 million payment from Libero Football Fund could do the trick for the Catalans.

Player valuation in title obtained from transfermarkt.com on date of publication.