Barcelona have reportedly been rebuffed in an eleventh hour attempt to sign Joao Felix, with Atletico Madrid having no intention of selling the Portuguese forward.
According to a report by Goal, Barcelona were keen on signing Joao Felix on loan from Atletico Madrid ahead of the transfer deadline of the ongoing window on Tuesday. However, the reigning La Liga champions have been quick to reject the approach, with the Portuguese forward set to stay put at Wanda Metropolitano.
Joao Felix joined Atletico Madrid from Benfica in a club-record €126 million deal in the summer of 2019. Since then, the 21-year-old, who has been widely regarded as one of the most promising young forwards in Europe, has been a regular feature for Los Rojiblancos, although he did suffer a slight dip in fortunes last term following the arrival of Luis Suarez.
To date, the Portuguese international has a record of 19 goals and nine assists in 76 appearances for Atletico Madrid, which is a tally that he can surely improve on. However, Felix remains as highly rated as ever, which explains why a club like Barcelona might be interested in him.
Barcelona are among the clubs who had been keen on signing the youngster before he left Benfica to join Atletico Madrid. The interest has not waned much since his switch to Wanda Metropolitano, with the Blaugrana being repeatedly linked with him this summer as well.
The eagerness to sign Felix makes sense as well, considering Lionel Messi’s departure has created a massive void in the attacking department at Camp Nou. While Felix alone cannot possibly fill the aforementioned void, his arrival could help fix some issues in the final third, although Barcelona have also been linked with several other attackers, including Edinson Cavani.
Among the more versatile options were Raheem Sterling, although Barcelona are no longer in pursuit of the Manchester City forward. As a result, Felix had been a viable alternative for the club, with a loan bid being presented to Atletico Madrid as well.
However, the Colchoneros have swiftly knocked back the approach for Felix, as they have no intention whatsoever to part ways with him. In fact, Atletico Madrid view the 21-year-old as a key component of their side as they strive to win back-to-back La Liga titles. As for Barcelona, it remains to be seen if they end up making a move for some other attacker or end the window with no other additions.
