One of Barcelona’s most-talked about players this season has been Joao Felix. The 24-year-old got his dream move in the summer as Atletico Madrid negotiated a loan deal with the Catalan club, although it has been a tough campaign for both player and club so far.
Felix initially made a flying start to his time at Barcelona. He impressed in consecutive matches against Real Betis and Royal Antwerp back in September, but then want on a long scoreless one, which was ended against Valencia last weekend.
Generally, his play has been below expectations, and recent reports have suggested that doubts over Felix have increased in recent weeks. Joan Laporta continues to back the Portuguese, but everyone else looks to have taken a step back. This has raised doubts over whether a permanent deal will be pursued next summer.
Barcelona have spoken publicly about wanting to sign Felix on a permanent basis, having been impressed with his performances and also the desire he showed to join in the summer. However, the credit in the bank looks to have dried out in recent weeks, and now, there are doubts over whether the Catalans will enter into negotiations with Atleti, who are reportedly asking for at least €80m in order to sell.
Given Barcelona’s well-documented financial problems, spending €80m is a big deal, and if they do pay that for someone, they would hope for success. However, that does not look likely in Felix’s case, although he has shown flashes at times. Still, that isn’t enough for the club to spend such a big amount of money.
It should be remembered that Felix is still young, so he could get significantly better. However, his level does not appear to have progressed much since joining Atleti in 2019. With that in mind, it may not be a good idea to fully commit to signing him permanently.
Barcelona need to be wise with their money, and they can sign better players than Felix for less money. A key example is Nico Williams, who could be an improved option at left wing. Further, he is two years younger, and has shown a much higher level than Felix over the last 12-18 months. Furthermore, he would only cost €50m as this is his release clause at Athletic Club.
It remains to be seen what Barcelona decide to do with Felix. However, club officials and supporters are beginning to become increasingly frustrated with him, and he needs to buck up his ideas in the second half of the season.
