"I’d love to play at Camp Nou" - Barcelona loanee reaffirms his desire to stay with the La Liga giants
Joao Felix has continued to express his eagerness to stay at Barcelona beyond this summer when his loan spell finishes.
The Portuguese attacker has been on loan at Barca from Atletico Madrid since last summer. He's enjoyed a fruitful campaign with the Catalan giants, bagging nine goals and six assists in 35 games across competitions.
Felix has regularly stated his desire to remain with Barcelona beyond the end of the season. He's set to return to the Wanda Metropolitano as things stand.
The 24-year-old gave an update on his situation and admitted he wanted to play in Blaugrana colors at their newly refurbished Camp Nou next season. He said (via transfer expert Fabrizio Romano):
"I'd be happy to stay and continue at Barca but it doesn't depend on me. Let's see what happens next year, I'd love to play at Camp Nou. We will see what's needed to stay at Barca."
The Blaugrana look keen to keep hold of Felix but their difficult financial situation means they're unlikely to be able to fund a permanent deal. They are reportedly looking to sweeten a deal by including Spanish defender Inigo Martinez in a swap deal for the Portugal international.
Felix was regarded as one of Europe's most promising attackers when he joined Atletico from Benfica in 2019 for €127.2 million. He won the Golden Boy award that year but struggled to reach expectations with Los Colchoneros.
Barcelona reportedly decide to sell Ansu Fati this summer
Barcelona could look to cash in on several stars this summer to help their financial situation and also retain Felix and fellow loanee Joao Cancelo. This could lead to Ansu Fati's departure with the Spanish winger currently on loan at Brighton & Hove Albion.
Spanish outlet SPORT reports that Fati, 21, won't return to Barca once his loan with Brighton concludes. He's struggled with injury issues at the Amex, managing four goals and one assist in 23 games across competitions.
The Blaugrana youngster was similarly viewed as a future superstar amid a meteoric rise at Camp Nou. He was expected to be a regular starter by this stage of his career but a poor injury record has plagued him.
Fati has made 112 appearances for Barca, scoring 29 goals and providing 10 assists since making the step up from their La Masia academy. He has reportedly garnered interest from Arsenal and Liverpool during his time in the Premier League with Brighton.