Having sold Franck Kessie and Ousmane Dembele last week, Barcelona have funds available to re-invest in the transfer market, just over two weeks until the summer window comes to a close.
Further departures, including Clement Lenglet, Ansu Fati and/or Ferran Torres, would mean that Barcelona have a significant amount of money at their disposal, and Xavi Hernandez has outlined his demands: a new right-back and another midfielder, as per Diario AS.
However, another player may well arrive before the end of the summer: Joao Felix. The Portuguese declared his desire to sign for Barcelona last month, and he could get his wish. He has already made the decision to hold out for a move to Catalonia.
Felix appears almost certain to leave Atletico Madrid this summer, despite, Diego Simeone seemingly offering him a way back into first team contention. The Portuguese’s relationship with the Los Colchoneros supporters is at an all-time low, as was shown during Monday night’s victory over Granada at the Metropolitano.
The unfortunate thing for Felix is that he is at somewhat of an impasse. His Atletico career looks finished, and he has put all of his eggs in Barcelona’s basket. However, Xavi is not convinced by his signing, although Joan Laporta is keen, as his the 23-year-old’s agent, Jorge Mendes.
It’s easy to see why Xavi is unconvinced. Felix’s attitude has been rather poor over the last 8-12 months, and this could be concern for the Barcelona dressing room, whose harmony is very strong. This is a big issue for the Blaugrana’s head coach.
However, a bigger issue is where he would fit into Barcelona’s squad. On the surface, he does not fit into Xavi’s system, neither in the 4-3-3 of four-midfielder set-up. Felix’s best position is as a number 10, but he would not play as this if he joins the reigning LaLiga champions.
As a result, Barcelona would be signing a luxury player, but even worse, as Felix does not fit their squad. Given the club’s current financial predicament, this is the last thing that they can afford, and Xavi knows this.
So, in one word: no. Barcelona should not sign Felix this summer. The money they have should be re-invested properly by signing a top quality right-back (a la Joao Cancelo) and a creative midfielder (possibly Giovani Lo Celso).
However, knowing the way Laporta operates, there is a very strong chance that Felix does end up wearing Barcelona colours by the end of the summer.
agreed