Football is full of schadenfreude, and there is no doubt Atletico Madrid fans have been having some fun at Joao Felix‘s expense as his performances have faded at Barcelona. Nevertheless, his form is a problem that will likely boomerang back to them in the summer.
Felix was brought by agent Jorge Mendes to Barcelona, President Joan Laporta and Sporting Director Deco insisted on his arrival too, but the coaching staff and Xavi Hernandez had their doubts about him. Felix started off on fire, and showed his quality again in their win over Atletico, but outside of that, his contributions have tailed off.
According to Sport, Laporta and Deco are convinced he will end up showing his value, but not everyone is, and negotiations with Atletico have been halted – Barcelona want to see him prove that he can play for Barcelona in the second half of the season.
Mendes was keen to negotiate a permanent transfer as soon as Felix’s loan was tied up at the end of the transfer window in the summer, but Barcelona have been more edging towards another loan, albeit with an option to buy, in the summer. Neither Atletico Madrid nor their fans want him back, the former due to his broken relations with Diego Simeone, the latter because of his angling to move to Barcelona.
If Felix does not improve, then his future looks like a significant headache for Mendes and Atletico. Many felt that Barcelona was perhaps his final chance to prove he belonged in the upper echelons of the game, before having to try his luck lower down the food chain. With a contract at the Metropolitano until 2029, there is no clear path forward for him beyond more loans.
