FC Barcelona and other top European sides ensure and prioritize the arrival of top talents at their respective clubs. Players that are capable of making a pure difference on the field are often sought out quite extensively by the top clubs in football and it is not common for them to let such an opportunity go by.
However, a case that is becoming particularly difficult to understand, specifically for a certain Atletico Madrid legend, is that of 23-year-old Joao Felix. Currently plying his trade for Barcelona on loan from Atletico, his grand performances have left the now-retired Portuguese winger and Atletico Madrid legend, Paulo Futre, in explicit disbelief.
Doubting Mendes’s intentions
Speaking to Cadena SER recently, the 57-year-old Portuguese legend stated that he had a conversation with Felix’s agent, Jorge Mendes, and it was a rather unpleasant encounter that was initiated by Futre believing Felix’s move to Barcelona had been Mendes’s doing rather than the personal wishes of the Portuguese star himself.
In response, the agent ensured the Atletico Madrid legend that it was not his work but rather the objective of Felix to represent FC Barcelona as it had always been a dream of his to do so. On the other hand, there was another peculiar topic touched upon by the two in that specific conversation that Futre apparently can not seem to wrap his head around.
Clubs other than Barcelona
According to Futre, both him and Mendes talked about other clubs that potentially may have been interested in Felix. However, to the surprise of the Atletico Madrid legend, none of the major clubs that talked to seemingly wanted anything to do with Joao Felix.
“Mendes told me he had spoken to Manchester United. I checked what he told me because I have friends there, and it was true. He had also talked to Manchester City, and I verified that they didn’t want Joao Félix either.”
Moreover, as has been reported by SPORT, when trying to reason over the fact that none seemed to truly be invested in the idea of signing his fellow countrymen, Futre believed that the idea of top coaches knowing his capabilities yet still not wanting the current Barcelona man was a thought beyond him:
“What’s not normal is that top coaches knew that Joao Félix was a genius, that he fit into their system of play, but nobody wanted him.”
The ‘Best’ did not want him
He even took the liberty to take the names of some of the most prolific and prominent managers currently in Europe, stating that their hesitance on wanting to swoop up Joao Felix is a mystery to behold in its own right:
“Neither Arteta, nor Guardiola, nor Klopp, no club… My question is, why hasn’t anyone wanted Joao? The only team that wanted him was Aston Villa with Monchi and Emery.”
With his direct claim, it is now evident that none of Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Mikel Arteta (Arsenal), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool), and Erik Ten Hag (Manchester United) seemingly wanted Felix and it was, ultimately, FC Barcelona who secured his services and have left a particularly distasteful look on the face of Futre.
