Atletico Madrid were no doubt looking at their options in terms of a departure for Joao Felix this summer, but having been caught unawares by his statements on Tuesday night, are furious with him.
Both Felix and his agent Jorge Mendes have felt the frustration of the club, who were blindsided by what they see as a strategy to force his exit.
Earlier that day, Felix was also left out of a training match, at which point he held further heated discussions with Sporting Director Andrea Berta at the side of the pitch. Later that evening, Romano released Felix’s comments that he wanted to leave the club.
💣🚨| BREAKING: João Félix statement on his future: “I’d love to play for Barça.”
“Barcelona has always been my first choice and I’d love to join Barça.”
“It was always my dream since I was a kid.”
“If it happens, it will be a dream come true for me.”
[🎖️: @FabrizioRomano]
— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) July 18, 2023
“The player’s agent is fully aware of the conditions that must be met for Joao to leave the club. Beyond that, we have nothing to comment on this matter,” Relevo quote from their sources at Atletico Madrid.
Clearly no club has yet met those conditions. Keen not to lose out on their €127m investment, Atletico are holding firm for either a large fee, or a loan deal which will see them save on Felix’s wages.
🚨 Atlético Madrid are furious with João Félix's words. They believe it's disrespectful, and, according to various media outlets, his agent perfectly knows the conditions that must be met for the Portuguese to leave the club. Via @sport 🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/ydPLJuzOJz
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) July 19, 2023
Ultimately, with Felix in all likelihood looking for an exit anyway, his comments have not changed the situation dramatically. What it has done is further strain his relations internally with Felix. That said, with Simeone leaving Felix out of training games, they are not innocent in the build up of frustration for the Portuguese either – last week he was also sent to train with the youngsters rather than the senior side at one stage too. Barcelona will reportedly try to sign Felix.
