Journalist Walter Zimmerman has reported via Mundo Deportivo that Barcelona want to extend the loan tenure of Joao Felix, but striking an agreement with Atletico Madrid will not be easy.
It appears that the ongoing drama surrounding Felix will continue into the summer if no significant changes occur.
The current situation is as follows: Atletico Madrid are eager to offload him, while the player himself is adamant about not continuing with the club.
Meanwhile, Barcelona are interested in retaining him but only on a fresh loan basis. Whether a new party intervenes in this narrative remains uncertain, although prospects seem slim given Felix’s decreased market value over the past year and a half.
Why another loan?
Before moving to Barcelona on a season-long loan, Felix renewed his deal with Atletico Madrid, putting pen to an agreement that mentioned a lower salary compensation.
This was done in order for Barcelona to accommodate him within the Financial Fair Play regulation and given the current state of finances, it will be next to impossible for them to pay a transfer fee this summer.
During a recent interview, Felix maintained polite behaviour, fielding all questions with courtesy. However, when pressed about a potential return to Atletico Madrid, he chose to remain silent, opting not to respond.
“We’ll see what happens next year, my family is happy and I’m happy. I would like to stay but it doesn’t depend on me,” he said.
“Obviously, I would like to play at the Camp Nou. It’s a pity we can’t play this year, the stands at Montjuïc are too far away.
“I don’t want to compare clubs, I don’t want controversy, although I don’t care.
“When I was in Portugal there was also a lot of talk about Benfica and I came prepared that anything that follows will be talked about or taken out of context. Barcelona is the biggest team in Spain,” he added.
For now, we are still a few months away from the summer transfer window, and the next instalment of Felix’s saga is just beginning to unfold.
