Barcelona might look to offer Ansu Fati in a swap deal to sign Atletico Madrid outcast Joao Felix in the final days of the summer transfer window.
According to Helena Condis of COPE (h/t En Rojiblanco), Joao Felix remains the subject of interest from Barcelona. But it seems the Blaugrana can only afford to sign the Atletico Madrid outcast in a swap deal. And they are considering an arrangement that will see Ansu Fati moving to Civitas Metropolitano.
Joao Felix was one of the best young prospects in the world when he joined Atletico Madrid in a mega-money deal over four years ago. But he has only gradual progress in his career since then, failing to justify the hype surrounding him. And while the Portuguese forward can attribute the woes to Diego Simeone’s system, he has not shown his quality on the international stage either.
Meanwhile, the 23-year-old spent the second half of the 2022/23 season on loan at Chelsea. But the short stint did not work out either, as he managed only four goals in 20 appearances for the West London club. Now back at Atletico Madrid, Felix does not have a future at the club, with Diego Simeone giving the green light to his sale.
But Felix’s stock remains high, with several high-profile clubs, including Barcelona, keen on signing him. Reports from earlier this summer even suggested that Barcelona had agreed to a deal to land the former Benfica prodigy. But such rumours could not be farther from the truth.
The Catalan giants are interested in securing Felix’s services this summer. But their financial issues mean they cannot prise him away from Atletico Madrid in a straight cash deal. So Barcelona will have to devise a clever plan to land the 23-year-old in the ongoing transfer window. And they are considering offering Ansu Fati in a swap deal.
The 20-year-old homegrown talent has become a shell of the promising prospect he was when he broke onto the scene. And Fati is not an undisputed first-choice starter for Barcelona heading into the 2023/24 season. So offering him to sign a player they desperately want might be a sensible decision.
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But it is unclear if Atletico Madrid will entertain a swap deal involving Ansu Fati and Joao Felix. Nonetheless, Jorge Mendes might work on such an arrangement in the final days of the summer transfer window.
