The guesswork surrounding Joao Felix ends on the last day of the 2023 summer transfer period: The Portuguese offensive player will wear the FC Barcelona jersey with immediate effect. Just like namesake Joao Cancelo.
“I would love to join Barça. It’s always been my dream since I was a kid.” Joao Felix made people sit up and take notice with these words in mid-July. At that time, however, the 23-year-old Portuguese had signed with Atletico Madrid.
This circumstance does not change, Joao Felix remains tied to the Rojiblancos until 30 June 2029 – but nevertheless moves to Catalonia on the last day of the summer transfer window and fulfils his dream. Even the FCB wrote on Twitter late Friday evening: “His dream came true.” And a picture with a current as well as a very young likeness of the Portuguese player including his quote: “It was always my dream to play here – since I was a child.”
A possible background to the current loan deal without an option to buy, for which Joao Felix is said to waive salary claims in order to become a player of the financially not exactly saddled FC Barcelona in the first place: The highly talented offensive player is also said to have been unhappy in Madrid due to disagreements with Atleti coach Diego Simeone. The former 126-million-euro purchase has not yet made any appearances this season. He spent last term on loan at Chelsea (20 games, four goals).
Griezmann got Joao Felix’s number
After making his professional debut for Benfica Lisbon in the 2018/19 season, Joao Felix’s career had seen steep heights. After his spectacular, because extremely expensive, move in 2019, he was rarely convincing in 123 games for Atletico despite scoring 32 goals, and his four goals in 20 games for Chelsea FC last second half of the season didn’t help either. The Blues did not sign the player on loan. And in Madrid, Antoine Griezmann, who returned to Atleti in 2021 and tried his hand at Barça himself (2019 to 2021), was given Joao Felix’s shirt number 7 on top of that.
The dribbling artist is likely to make up for the departure of Ousmane Dembelé at FCB. Something that only 16-year-old Lamine Yamal (now also nominated for the Spanish national team for the first time) managed well recently.
In the meantime, Barça has also given away talent Ansu Fati – on loan to Brighton & Hove Albion. Meanwhile, the loan (also without an option to buy) of former Munich player Joao Cancelo (Manchester City), for whom the German record champions had not exercised the option to buy for 70 million euros, was also announced.
According to media reports, the Catalans were not allowed to secure purchase options for the duo in view of Financial Fair Play.
