After falling out of favour at Atletico Madrid and having a disappointing loan spell at Chelsea, Joao Felix arrived at Barcelona this past summer, joining on a temporary deal for the 2023/24 season.
The Portuguese international pushed for a move to the Catalan club and waited until the deadline day to seal his preferred move, even agreeing to lower his wages significantly to make the move happen.
And, upon arrival, Joao Felix made an instant impact, starting his Barça career off on a bright note, scoring and assisting goals, quickly becoming a regular in the side.
Barcelona want him permanently
Even though Joao Felix’s form has dipped in recent weeks – he has gone without a goal in his last 11 appearances – Barcelona intend to sign the 24-year-old permanently at the end of the season, along with Joao Cancelo
The same was confirmed by sporting director Deco earlier this week in an interview as he said:
“There is no doubt that we want to have them next season because they are valid for the squad. We are still in November, it is early. But of course, we are already thinking about it. We see how the season is going.”
Atletico Madrid president on Joao Felix
Reacting to the news, Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has opened up on the future of Joao Felix, stating that Barcelona can sign him permanently in the summer, and if not, he would be welcome back at the Metropolitano.
Speaking to COPE (h/t Fabrizio Romano), Cerezo said: “Joao Felix will be one of the best players in Europe, I wish him all the best at Barça.
“He’s on loan there but if Barça want to sign Joao on a permanent deal, they’ll have the option to make it happen for sure. Otherwise, he will return.”
However, a permanent deal might be easier said than done as Barcelona would likely require to invest at least €100 million to sign both Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo next summer.
