Barcelona interested in former Chelsea forward but Xavi doesn’t want him
By Vishal Singh
Barcelona board and coaching staff find themselves at crossroads over making a move for Joao Felix.
The Portuguese forward, who spent the second half of the season at Chelsea, is back in Atletico Madrid squad ahead of the new season.
But multiple reports have suggested he has no future in the Spanish capital under Diego Simeone.
Accordingly, the 23-year-old is on the radar of multiple clubs, including Al Hilal, who have made a solid proposal for the versatile attacker. The SPL outfit is managed by former Benfica manager Jorge Jesus, and it’s believed that he had already spoken with his transfer target.
Felix, however, prefers to join Barca, and as per SPORT, he has made it clear to his agent, Jorge Mendes, to engineer a move to Camp Nou.
Barcelona decision-makers have yet to make a final decision on Joao Felix
The Portugal international is viewed as a ‘genuine target’ for the Blaugrana, and the club’s sporting director and co have informed his representatives that they are interested in signing him.
Atletico have also agreed to let Felix move to Catalonia if they receive a formal offer.
Still, at the Catalan outfit, there’s a debate about the highly-rated forward, who has failed to live up to his potential at Atletico as well as Chelsea.
It is reported that Xavi wants the club’s hierarchy to invest their limited resources on other signings. The Spaniard has long been a huge admirer of Bernardo Silva.
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Considering the market and financial situation of Barcelona, Felix makes more sense than one might think. Most importantly, he can play in different positions and would cost much less than high-profile options like Silva. However, it’s added that he’s not going to wait forever and has communicated to the defending La Liga champions that he will wait one more week for their offer.