Atletico Madrid legend Paulo Futre claims that Premier League giants Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City all turned down Joao Felix before he joined La Liga champions Barcelona on loan.
The Portugal international’s early performances in Catalonia, however, are proof that reports of his demise had been greatly exaggerated.
Joao Felix, allegedly turned down by Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City over the summer, has been nothing short of mesmerising in Barcelona colours so far. He has three goals and two assists already, the driving force behind successive 5-0 hammerings of Real Betis and Royal Antwerp.
Arsenal and Liverpool turned down Joao Felix
And Futre, the Atletico icon, claims to have discovered – after discussing Felix’s situation with super-agent Jorge Mendes – that a number of big Premier League clubs overlooked the chance to bring in one of football’s most naturally gifted talents before he made the trip from Madrid to Barcelona on deadline day.
That is despite some stand-out displays on loan at Chelsea in the second half of 2022/23.
“(Mendes) had spoken with Manchester City. I also checked, and they didn’t want Joao. Nobody wanted him. Neither (Mikel) Arteta, nor (Pep) Guardiola, nor (Jurgen) Klopp,” Futre tells Cadena Ser.
“My question is why has no one loved Joao?”
Felix became the fourth most expensive player in football history when he joined Atletico Madrid from Benfica in a £113 million deal back in 2019. In truth, however, Felix and Diego Simeone always felt like a rather awkward marriage; an eventual and messy divorce coming as no real surprise.
Back to his best at Barcelona
Now under the watchful eye of Xavi at Barcelona, the Blaugrana’s more free-flowing, possession-heavy approach is getting far more out of the elegant, ethereal Felix, the Portugal international already striking up a formidable understanding with Robert Lewandowski in attack.
Manchester City, meanwhile, could have done with Felix’s guile during Wednesday’s insipid Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Newcastle United; Guariola’s quadruple push ending before it even began.
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