According to Fabrizio Romano, 23-year-old and former Chelsea loanee Joao Felix has revealed to him that moving to FC Barcelona would be a “dream come true”. With a little more than a month remaining before the summer transfer deadline, could the title winners complete a shock move for the attacker?
Former Chelsea Man Joao Felix Declares Desire to Play for Barcelona
Joao Felix: Unmet Expectations at Atletico Madrid and Chelsea
After signing a seven-year contract with the Spanish club in 2019, Felix has struggled to fit into the system designed by Diego Simeone, while he also underwhelmed on loan with Chelsea last season.
Since relocating from the Primeira Liga, the player once labelled as a “phenom” during his days with SL Benfica has yet to have a season where he scores in the double-digits under the Argentine manager. In total, the forward has only managed to net 25 goals in 96 La Liga appearances: Underwhelming numbers for someone with a nine-figure price tag.
What’s the Likelihood of Barcelona Acquiring Joao Felix?
However, Romano noted that it is the “intention” of Barcelona to find a way to make the deal work. If they can overcome budgetary issues and somehow secure the talents of the 2019 Golden Boy winner, he would certainly be motivated to help make deep runs in domestic competitions as well as the Champions League.
The Difficulties Surrounding a Possible Move
If the Blaugrana does go after the playmaker, certain prerequisites will need to be accomplished in order for talks to progress.
First and foremost, they must meet pay the required transfer sum. Although this number will likely be lower than the 2019 fee that was paid, it’s almost guaranteed that the discount won’t be too significant seeing as he would be going to a league rival.
Secondly, an issue could arise when it comes to wages. The former teen prodigy makes over £250,000 a week. Unless there is a cut in his earnings or more departures occur, the Catalan giants would be limited in other signings they could make this summer should they sign Felix.
If the dreams of the Portuguese international are to be fulfilled, it would make more than a dent in Barcelona’s bank accounts. Still, it might be worth it if they can unlock the abilities that earned him the move to Spain in the first place.
