The main incoming transfer priority for FC Barcelona in the remaining days of the summer transfer window is that of a right-back, but the Catalans are also being linked with an attacking player. However, it has been previously reported that a forward would come only if the club is able to reduce its wage bill after offloading some of its players.
Previously, Barcelona were being linked with a move for their former talisman, Neymar Jr. However, the Brazilian has signed for Al-Hilal and has moved to Saudi Arabia. With his exclusion, Joao Felix remains the forward most strongly linked with the Catalan club.
Felix not called up for the match against Real Betis
The 2023-24 season of La Liga is underway and all the teams in the competition are preparing for the second round of matches. Felix’s team, Atletico de Madrid, faces Real Betis in this round, but according to a report from SPORT, Felix himself has not been called up by Diego Simeone for this match.
Simeone mentioned in his press conference before the match that Felix is not a part of the squad for this match because he is suffering from some discomfort.
SPORT also report that Felix did not complete the training session on Friday, and went to the locker room early because he felt some discomfort, and the player has not been able to train on Saturday.
Strained relations at Atletico Madrid
However, this discomfort may or may not completely explain the reasons for Felix’s absence from the match squad and training. His relationship with Diego Simeone is practically non-existent, and the player has already openly declared his admiration for FC Barcelona and his wish to join the Catalan club recently.
His relationship with the Atletico Madrid fans is also broken, as he faced the wrath of the fans from the bench in the opening La Liga match last week, and also during a training session at Civitas Metropolitano.
The player has been clear that he wants to play for Barcelona for the season ahead, and is willing to wait for the Catalans. Meanwhile, he has rejected other offers, including from Saudi Arabia, as he believes Xavi’s setup can help him regain his form, which he has been unable to recover during his entire time at the Wanda Metropolitano.
