Joao Felix channels his inner-Romelu Lukaku as he sends come and get me plea to Barcelona
Wantaway Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix has made a surprising admission, expressing his desire to play for Barcelona. The 23-year-old is seeking a move away from Atletico after a disappointing loan spell at Chelsea, where he managed to score only four goals in 20 appearances. It is believed that Felix had a falling out with Atletico manager Diego Simeone, leading to his desire to leave the club entirely.
While a potential move to Paris Saint-Germain has been of interest to Felix, it seems that Barcelona is his preferred destination. In a statement shared by Fabrizio Romano, Felix stated, “I’d love to play for Barca. Barcelona has always been my first choice, and I’d love to join them. It has been my dream since I was a child, and if it happens, it will be a dream come true for me.”
Although some Chelsea fans would have liked Felix to stay, Mauricio Pochettino did not want to retain him at the club. Aston Villa has shown a long-term interest in the Portuguese international, but his contract with Atletico does not expire until 2027.
Felix’s desire to join Barcelona may have been influenced by Romelu Lukaku’s recent interview, where he expressed his wish to return to Inter Milan shortly after re-signing with Chelsea. Lukaku’s comments resulted in him being dropped from the Blues squad for their match against Liverpool at the beginning of 2022. While Lukaku initially seemed set to make a permanent move to Inter, talks with Juventus have now made them the favorites to sign him, and Lukaku has not joined Chelsea’s pre-season tour in the USA.
Atletico Madrid’s talent Joao Felix is the latest starlet sending out a ‘come and get me plea’ to football giants FC Barcelona. The Portuguese U21 international has been in superb form this season, yet has been unable to capture enough headlines with his incredible performances to turn the attention of the Catalan club away from their current target – Inter Milan star Romelu Lukaku.
Yet Felix’s form this season has seen him move into the conversation as one of the best young players in the world. With 11 goals and five assists in all competitions, Felix has been extremely impressive with his creative and hugely resilient performances. This was further highlighted after the 20-year-old’s incredible solo goal against Villarreal, when he ran the length of the pitch to score a solo screamer.
The potential of the prodigy has reportedly attracted the interest of some of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus. Yet reports claim that Barcelona are yet to make an official approach for the star, prompting Felix to send out a vague but quite obvious plea to the Catalan club in an interview last month.
In the interview, Felix outlined his desire to play for one of the ‘big clubs’ and even compared himself to Lukaku, saying that he is the same type of player who can provide a goal threat from the midfield and can create chances for his teammates. With his current contract at Atletico only running until 2023, it won’t take much for one of Europe’s top clubs to snap Felix up this summer.
Despite Felix’s plea, Barca could still opt to pursue their main target in Lukaku instead. However, with the club possibly struggling financially this summer – particularly after the release of superstar Lionel Messi – they may be tempted to make a move for Felix instead.
Whatever happens this summer, it is clear that Joao Felix has put himself firmly on the radar of Barcelona and Europe’s other footballing giants with his performances so far. His talent, versatility and goal threat are sure to leave fans salivating at the prospect of him lining up for one of the giants of European football.