Barcelona appears to have shifted its transfer focus away from Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez, deeming a move for him potentially too challenging this summer. However, securing other desired targets will not be straightforward either.
Reports from Thursday suggest that Chelsea’s striker, Joao Felix, has emerged as Barcelona’s primary target, with Sporting Director Deco reportedly initiating discussions for the Portuguese international. While a different profile of forward compared to Alvarez, Barcelona believes Felix could offer significant value and would likely come at a lower cost.
Chelsea Demands €100 Million for Joao Felix
Catalan media outlets have indicated that Barcelona believes a deal could be struck for approximately €70 million. However, according to MD, Chelsea has little inclination to sell Felix for such a figure. The Premier League club is said to be seeking closer to €100 million for their star player.
Felix only joined Stamford Bridge last summer for a fee of €63.7 million. Consequently, Chelsea is keen to secure a substantial profit on the 24-year-old, who is under contract until 2033. A critical factor influencing negotiations will be Chelsea’s success in qualifying for next season’s Champions League. Failure to secure a spot in Europe’s elite competition could increase their need for player sales to balance their finances, potentially increasing Felix’s desire for a move.
Is €100 Million Too Much for Barcelona to Spend on Felix?
A complicating factor for Barcelona may be the fact that they were reportedly willing to spend up to €100 million to acquire Alvarez. This suggests that Chelsea is aware of Barcelona’s financial capacity to meet higher figures than their initial €70 million valuation. While Barcelona undoubtedly needs to strengthen their attacking options for the upcoming season, a €100 million outlay for Felix, who is experiencing his first season in the Champions League and has limited international caps for Portugal, appears to be a considerable financial stretch.