19 July 2023 , 11:26
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Wantaway Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix would like to join their fierce LaLiga rivals Barcelona over Manchester United, sparking fury from his current club.
Initially, Felix had harboured hopes of staying at Chelsea, where he spent the second half of last term on loan, on a permanent basis. However, with the former Golden Boy winner failing to set the world alight at Stamford Bridge, the Blues have opted against trying to land his signature on a long-term deal.
Felix has since returned to the Spanish capital for pre-season training, but has spent much of his time training away from the rest of the squad and cut an isolated, downbeat figure at times, which explains the latest round of speculation regarding his future.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has claimed that despite interest from United, Aston Villa and Newcastle, it is Barcelona where Felix sees himself this summer. It has been reported that the 23-year-old explicitly said he wants in on Xavi's project at Camp Nou.
This desire to join one of Atletico's main competitors for the LaLiga title and reigning champions stems from an affection for Barcelona that stems back to when Felix was a child and he regards the potential transfer as one that would be a dream come true.
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However, his stance has not gone down well with those at the top of the Atletico hierarchy. It is believed that few Atleti officials expected Felix's desire to join Barcelona to become public or even knew about it themselves.
According to Relevo, many within the club feel as if it is a deliberate stunt from Felix to try and force his exit before the summer transfer window closes.
Joao Felix underwhelmed while on loan at Chelsea last season (Manuel Reino Berengui/Getty Images)Mirror Football is now on Threads! You can follow us here.
"The player's agent knows perfectly well the conditions that must be met for João to leave the club. From then on we have nothing to comment on this matter," a club spokesperson told the Spanish outlet.
It is clear that Atletico will stand firm until their demands are met before they give the green light to Felix's departure. The Portugal international signed a lengthy contract extension at the Wanda Metropolitano earlier this year, tying him to the club until the summer of 2027.
As a result, Atletico are not in a position where they can be cornered into selling Felix for anything less than they deem him worth any time soon.
Given Barcelona's precarious financial situation, it seems unlikely that the Spanish titans fork out the kind of figure Atletico are expected to demand before they sell to a direct rival, though the two clubs have done business before, with Antoine Griezemann leaving Atleti for Barcelona in 2019 only to return three years later.