Xavi willing to add Joao Felix to squad if Barcelona board fulfills 2 transfer demands - Reports
Barcelona are yet to make a move for Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix after he expressed his desire to play for the Blaugrana. Xavi Hernandez reportedly has his hands full with transfer targets and will only consider signing Felix once they have been fulfilled.
Felix recently returned to Atletico Madrid after the completion of his mid-season loan to Chelsea. The 23-year-old versatile attacker is reportedly unsettled in the red half of Madrid and prefers a move away. With Felix being heavily linked with Barcelona, there have been no proceedings from the Catalan giants' side so far.
As per journalist Javi Miguel, Xavi believes there are other areas in his squad that require immediate attention. The Spaniard has asked the Barca board to find him players in two specific positions, namely the midfield and right-back.
Felix remains adamant about a move to Camp Nou. The youngster is yet to act upon a cash-rich proposal by Saudi outfit Al-Hilal, as reported by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. His fixation with Barcelona became apparent when he spoke to Romano (source: Forbes), stating,
"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."
His statements understandably made things uncomfortable for Atletico Madrid, who gave Felix the get-go to pursue his dreams post this interview. If reports by journalist Helena Condis Edo are to be believed, Barcelona could consider offering La Masia product Ansu Fati in a deal involving Felix (source: Football Espana).
Nevertheless, everything suggests that a potential deal will only occur towards the end of this transfer window.
Barcelona have only made three signings in the summer so far
The Blaugrana are yet to recover from the financial blows inflicted by the Josep Bartomeu regime. As a result, the 27-time La Liga champions have only been able to complete three signings in the current transfer window.
They acquired the services of the former Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan for free, as soon as he made himself available on the market. Athletic Bilbao defender Inigo Martinez already had an agreement with the club in place, and the deal was made official as soon as the transfer window opened.
The only deal where Barca spent any sort of cash was that of Oriol Romeu. Xavi's side have also been linked with Joao Cancelo and Bernardo Silva, but nothing has materialized yet.