Atletico Madrid legend Paulo Futre claims to have learned that Aston Villa reached an ‘agreement’ to sign Barcelona loanee Joao Felix before he turned down a return to the Premier League.
For all the progress Aston Villa have made on and off the pitch since the Edens and Sawiris takeover, if this summer taught us anything, its that Unai Emery’s side still have a way to go in order to compete with the biggest of ‘big boys’.
Aston Villa missed out on both Marco Asensio and Manuel Ugarte to Paris Saint-Germain. And, despite agreeing a deal with Atletico Madrid for their £113 million misfit Joao Felix, the Portugal international only had eyes for Barcelona.
Aston Villa ‘wanted’ Barcelona star Joao Felix
“The only team that has wanted him was Monchi and Emery’s Aston Villa,” Futre tells Cadena Ser, having discussed Felix’s future with the 23-year-old’s agent, Jorge Mendes.
“Joao said ‘no’ when there was an agreement between Atleti and Aston Villa at the beginning of July.”
Felix eventually secured a dream move to Barcelona on deadline day. And, with three goals and two assists for Xavi’s La Liga champions already, the former Chelsea and Benfica man has wasted little time in reminding everyone why he became the fourth most expensive footballer in the game’s history not so long ago, striking up a fearsome understanding with Robert Lewandowski, dazzling in the Champions League and showcasing the kind of mesmerising creativity arguably not seen in Catalonia since Andres Iniesta’s heyday.
Liverpool and Arsenal turned Felix down
“Phenomenal coaches knew that Joao was a genius,” Futre adds, praising Xavi’s ability to get far more out of Felix than Atletico boss Diego Simeone ever did. “He has adapted to (Barcelona’s) system.”
Futre, a two-time Copa del Rey winner with Atletico in the 1990s, claims to have heard from Felix’s representative that he was overlooked by Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal before that Barca switch.
“(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 adds. “My question is why has no one loved Joao?”
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