Atletico Madrid demanding massive loan fee from Barcelona for Joao Felix - Reports
According to Catalan Radio's Ramon Salmurri, Atletico Madrid want a €28 million loan fee to let Joao Felix join Barcelona this summer.
The figure would cover Felix's cost to Atletico Madrid over a season, including his amortisation value and his salary. The report also stated that Atleti would be open to Barcelona including Ferran Torres or Franck Kessie as a part of the deal.
Felix, who has been out of favor at Atletico Madrid for a while, recently stated that he would love to represent Barcelona. He said that it's one of his dreams to play for the La Liga giants.
The Portuguese forward said (via GOAL):
“"I’d love to play for Barça. Barcelona has always been my first choice and I’d love to join Barça. It was always my dream since I was a kid. If it happens, it will be a dream come true for me."
Felix spent the second half of the 2022-23 season away on loan at Premier League club Chelsea before returning to Atletico in the summer. His future, however, remains uncertain.
Atletico Madrid are expected to ask for a fee in the region of €100 million to sell the player, which would be impossible for Barca to pay due to their financial situation. While a loan move could be on the cards, Atletico's demands could dissuade the Blaugrana.
Barcelona backed to win La Liga again by Hristo Stoichkov
In his first full season as the Barcelona manager, Xavi led Barcelona to the La Liga title. It was a fantastic achievement for the Catalan club, considering that Real Madrid were heavy favorites to become the Spanish champions.
Hristo Stoichkov, who played for Barca between 1990 and 1995, has backed his former team to win the La Liga again this season. Speaking about the team and the impact Xavi has made, he said (via Barca Universal):
“I think that Barça are better than Madrid. Based on the squads, Barça should be winning the league. Xavi is fantastic. It was not easy winning the league and he did it. People doubted him and his experience, but I never did. He’s a Barça boy. He learned from Pep and Cruyff. It’s in his DNA. Of course, this is what the club have to conserve.”
Barcelona have already made reinforcements in their midfield ahead of the 2023-24 season, signing Ilkay Gundogan and Oriol Romeu. Fans will be keen to see how the new signings settle at the club.