Barcelona is reportedly not keen on securing the services of on-loan Atlético Madrid forward João Félix permanently in the upcoming summer transfer window.
The 24-year-old Portuguese joined Camp Nou last summer on a season-long loan after spending the latter half of the previous season at Chelsea. Despite a decent performance, where he contributed eight goals and five assists in 30 appearances across various competitions.
The reigning La Liga champions are considering extending his loan deal instead of committing to a hefty €70-80 million permanent transfer fee, as per Luis F Rojo of Marca (via Barca Buzz). Felix, who recently recovered from an ankle injury, marked his return with a goal in Barcelona’s 4-0 La Liga victory over Getafe at home last weekend.
In the same match, Raphinha, Frenkie de Jong, and Fermin Lopez also found the net, securing a vital win for Xavi’s side. However, despite the victory, Barcelona remains in third place, trailing league leaders Real Madrid by eight points after 26 matches.
It’s worth noting that Xavi, the current manager, has announced his departure at the end of the season following a string of inconsistent performances. Barcelona endured defeats in the Supercopa Espana final against Real Madrid and suffered an early exit from the Copa del Rey at the hands of Athletic Bilbao.
With only 12 games left in the league campaign, Barcelona’s chances of defending their title appear increasingly bleak following a disappointing 5-3 defeat at home to Villarreal, leaving them trailing significantly in the title race.
