Joao Felix Shines at Barcelona After Rejections from Premier League Giants
Atletico Madrid legend Paulo Futre recently revealed that Premier League powerhouses Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City had all passed on the opportunity to sign Joao Felix before he embarked on his loan journey with La Liga champions Barcelona.
Contrary to doubts surrounding his form, Joao Felix’s early performances in Catalonia have silenced critics. With three goals and two assists already to his name, he has been the driving force behind Barcelona’s back-to-back 5-0 victories against Real Betis and Royal Antwerp.
It’s remarkable that despite his standout loan spell at Chelsea in the latter half of the 2022/23 season, Joao Felix found himself overlooked by several prominent Premier League clubs. This revelation came to light when Futre, an Atletico icon, engaged in discussions with super-agent Jorge Mendes regarding Felix’s situation.
Futre commented on this surprising turn of events in an interview with Cadena Ser, saying, “Mendes had spoken with Manchester City. I also checked, and they didn’t want Joao. Nobody wanted him. Neither Arteta, nor Guardiola, nor Klopp. My question is why has no one loved Joao?”
In 2019, Joao Felix became the fourth most expensive player in football history when he joined Atletico Madrid from Benfica in a £113 million deal. However, his partnership with Diego Simeone always seemed somewhat uneasy, leading to an inevitable and tumultuous separation.
Now, under the guidance of Xavi at Barcelona, Joao Felix is thriving in a more fluid and possession-oriented system. His elegant and ethereal style of play has meshed seamlessly with Robert Lewandowski’s presence in attack, forming a potent partnership.
Manchester City, on the other hand, might rue the missed opportunity to utilize Joao Felix’s creativity during their lackluster Carabao Cup exit to Newcastle United, as Guardiola’s pursuit of a quadruple came to a premature end.
