Atletico Madrid fans booed attacker Joao Felix with some venom as the player was training, weeks after he expressed his desire to join Barcelona.
Barcelona are interested in a move for the forward, who looks set to depart Diego Simeone’s side, and their fans are keen to see him leave.
He had claimed earlier in the summer window that moving to Barcelona was his dream move, and his preferred destination. This has put Atletico in a difficult position, and their fans are seriously unhappy.
During a warm-down after Atletico’s victory over Granada, Felix was insulted by his own fans in what is now becoming a messy situation, and there clearly needs to be a resolution soon.
Do Barcelona need Felix?
The departure of Ousmane Dembele does mean there is space for another attacking player, but Felix may not be the best fit right now.
The Portugal international favours a central role, either as a striker or behind the centre-forward, and it is unclear where he would fit in Xavi’s system.
He may be able to play out wide, but this is not his preferred role, and with Robert Lewandowski occupying the number nine spot, with Vitor Roque set to join in January, he may not be needed as another centre-forward.
Given his age and talent, if Barcelona can strike out a financially viable deal, then it may still be worth bringing the 23-year-old in as an asset capable of working his way into the side, but it remains to be seen whether a deal will be possible this summer.
Felix spent the second half of last season on loan at Chelsea, and has endured a few difficult years at Atletico since his move from Benfica in 2019. Nevertheless, the forward is a talented player who has the potential to succeed in the right environment, and he is perhaps more suited to Barcelona’s attacking style of play.