The Portuguese has done his best to ruin his relationship with Diego Simeone and Rojiblancos fans by publicly pushing for a move to Camp Nou
"Some people are born with an innate talent that they show from a young age. Writers, painters, sculptors, sportsmen… The word that best describes Joao [Felix] is ‘talent’. At 19, he has a great career ahead of him and we’re proud that he chose the Red & White colours."
Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo thought he'd completed one of the coups of the century when Felix's €126 million (£111m/$143m) transfer from Benfica was confirmed in July 2019. Every top club in Europe had been tracking Felix's progress at Estadio Da Luz, but he decided that Atleti offered him "the best conditions to progress".
A series of muscle injuries prevented Felix from making a significant impact and living up to comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo at the Metropolitano in 2019-20, but he didn't regret his decision. “I just play to have fun," he added in an interview with . "You don’t have to think you’re going to be the next Ronaldo or that you’re going to win this or that. You just have to have fun and enjoy the moment to the fullest.”
Simeone has always made sure that Atletico punch above their weight, instilling a sense of discipline and resilience in his squad along with a will to win by any means necessary. But 'fun' is not a word that has generally been associated with the Los Rojiblancos over the past decade.
Felix and Atletico never seemed like the right match, and so it has proved, despite his respectable haul of 34 goals and 16 assists across the last four seasons. The 23-year-old has played 131 games for Atletico to date, but he's failed to establish himself as a vital cog in Simeone's line up.
Indeed, he fell out of favour almost entirely in the first half of the 2022-23 campaign, completing a full 90 minutes in La Liga just once, and Atletico jumped at the chance to send him out on loan when Chelsea came calling.
Felix also failed to convince at Stamford Bridge, and it was no surprise when the Blues decided against trying to make his switch permanent. Speculation over his future has been raging since his return to Atleti, where he is still under contract until 2027.
But instead of working to get his career back on track in the Spanish capital, Felix has turned traitor by issuing a come-and-get-me plea to Atleti's arch-rivals, Barcelona…
(C)Getty images'Barcelona has always been my first choice'
Felix has made it crystal clear that he does not want to spend another year on Atletico's books. After being forced to train with the academy squad on the first day of pre-season, the Portugal international decided to take matters into his own hands.
"I’d love to play for Barca," Felix revealed to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano. “Barcelona has always been my first choice and I’d love to join Barca. It was always my dream since I was a kid. If it happens, it will be a dream come true for me."
According to , Atletico officials had no idea Felix was planning to speak publicly, and they're furious with the timing of his comments. Simeone has a huge task on his hands to make his team La Liga title contenders again, with Barca and Real Madrid threatening to pull away after strengthening their respective squads in the summer market.
The last thing Simeone needs is to be worrying about the club's mutinous, spoiled and downright ungrateful record signing. And it appears he is ready to cut Felix loose to avoid any further distractions.
"The most important thing is that none of us in the team is more important than Atletico Madrid," the Argentine tactician said from the club's training camp in South Korea. "Atleti is much more important than all of us. When we arrived at this club, the values and their way of working such as commitment, humility, respect must be given by each person, but make it clear that there is no one, but nobody above Atletico Madrid."
AdvertisementGetty/TwitterNo turning back
Felix's transfer bombshell came just days after Cerezo had insisted he is still "very much loved by everyone" in the Atletico fold. "We are happy to have a player of the quality of Joao Felix," the club president added. "Fortunately for us, he plays for Atletico. To this day and until the contrary is proven, he is an Atletico player for many seasons."
Cerezo will have every right to feel betrayed after seeing Felix throw his show of faith right back in his face. And he doesn't deserve the chance to redeem himself.
According to , Atletico have already given Felix the green light to pursue his "dream" transfer to Camp Nou, which is the right call. Simeone is stubborn enough to let the attacker rot on the bench if he stays put, and such a sideshow could affect morale in the dressing room.
There is also the issue of Felix's broken relationship with Atletico fans to consider. A group of supporters desecrated a plaque marking the Portugal star's 100 appearances milestone outside the Metropolitano last week. They struck a cross through Felix's name and etched the words “go to Barca” and “wh*re” around the plate in an act of vandalism that has become a standard practice in recent years. Antoine Griezmann's plaque was also targeted after his 2019 move to Barca, and former Atleti goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was subjected to similar treatment after claiming Real Madrid are a bigger team.
Felix will be jeered relentlessly if he is still an Atletico player come the start of the new season. Griezmann, who was recently given Felix's No.7 shirt, received a hostile reception after re-joining the club on loan in 2021 and is still working to rebuild burnt bridges.
"I as a fan would also have been very angry. It’s what I deserved," the Frenchman told in March. Felix doesn't appear to have the same capacity for self-reflection, and Atletico fans will never forgive his shameless act of treachery.
Getty ImagesLaporta loves Felix
If Atletico are to successfully offload Felix, Barca looks to be their best option, despite the club's ongoing financial troubles. As per the Liga champions ran some numbers after Felix's interview with Romano and concluded that a loan deal with an option to buy would be feasible.
It wouldn't be the first time that Barca have made a play for the former Benfica wonderkid. Club president Joan Laporta told in March 2022: "I love Joao Felix. In the summer a swap with [Antoine] Griezmann was attempted, but Atlético said 'no'."
Giving up on Felix just two seasons on from their initial club-record investment in his talents would have been a bad look for Atleti, but the situation is different now. Felix is damaged goods, and his stock will only continue to plummet.
Atleti need not hold any fears about Felix potentially improving Barca. They may be a better fit for him in terms of playing style, but Felix has never proven he can consistently deliver at the highest level.
He's quite obviously flattered to deceive for the Los Rojiblancos, but has also been unable to make his mark on the international stage, recording just five goals in 31 games for Portugal. Manchester United legend Roy Keane famously branded Felix an "imposter" after the Seleccao's 1-0 loss to Belgium in the last 16 at Euro 2020 – and it's certainly true that when the going gets tough, Felix tends to sink rather than swim.
Barca could find out the hard way, as Atleti have, that Felix is more trouble than he is worth. He might still be one of the most talented players of his generation, but he lacks the mental toughness and humility to unlock his full potential.
Getty ImagesWhat went wrong at Chelsea?
"These four or five months, I've loved it. It's a top club. Everyone in the club was very good to me. My team-mates, unbelievable. I really like to be here."
Felix talked up the possibility of a permanent move to Chelsea in a video on social media in May, but there was no reason for them to retain his services. He only showed flashes of his best form in west London, and went missing in the biggest matches – most notably against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Felix played 20 games in all competitions for the Blues, scoring just four goals and failing to register a single assist. He couldn't be blamed for Chelsea slumping to their worst-ever Premier League finish, but he certainly did not do enough to justify his hefty £10m loan fee.
The first glimpse of Felix that English audiences were treated to was a tantalising one, as he showed off his impressive dribbling skills, incisive passing range and intelligent movement on his debut against Fulham at Craven Cottage. But all of that was undone when he was sent off in the 58th minute for a reckless challenge on Kenny Tete.
Felix missed Chelsea's next three league games through suspension, while continuing to pocket a reported £250,000 in weekly wages. And he looked far less interested in making a good impression when he finally got back on the pitch.
The Blues are now beginning a new era under Mauricio Pochettino, whose first order of business was to shut down the prospect of Felix sticking around. "The news that we received yesterday is that the new manager doesn't count on him at Chelsea," Atletico president Cerezo confirmed shortly before Pochettino's arrival at Stamford Bridge.
Felix might have enjoyed his time with Chelsea, but he won't be missed, as Pochettino's stance firmly underlines.