Revealed: Real Madrid a better fit for Joao Felix than Barcelona or Liverpool

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 29 Aug 2023 12:57 BST
• 3 min read

Joao Felix would be better moving across town from Atletico to Real Madrid than pushing for a move to Barcelona, according to FootballTransfers' official data partner, SciSports.

Felix has no future at Atletico Madrid, with Diego Simeone freezing him out of the squad and handing Antoine Griezmann his No.7 jersey at the start of the season.

The Portuguese - who remains the most expensive teenager of all time after Kylian Mbappe following his €127.2 million arrival from Benfica in 2019 - has been vocal about his desire to join Barcelona.

READ: Joao Felix to Barcelona or Saudi Arabia? Fabrizio Romano's latest

"Barcelona has always been my first choice and I'd love to join Barca," he told transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano in July, a stance he has reiterated since.

Liverpool have lined up Felix as a potential replacement for Mohamed Salah should they fail to keep the Egyptian winger away from Al-Ittihad, meanwhile - as exclusively revealed by FootballTransfers collaborator Steve Kay recently.

But Real Madrid would be a better fit that either, according to SciSports data.

A good fit all-round

Accounting for potential development, playing time, playing style, formation, cub status and likeliness, Felix has an overall club fit of 75 at Real, which is the third-highest score outright behind Borussia Dortmund (78) and Real Betis (77).

READ: EXCLUSIVE: Liverpool eye Barcelona target Joao Felix as Salah replacement

Real score well - four stars out of a possible five - for playing time and potential development.

Felix is a versatile attacker who can play out wide or more centrally, off a target man, and Real have been lacking a No.10 since Isco left on a free transfer to Sevilla last August.

He can also play right up front, and would provide welcome cover for Joselu with Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema having left for Al-Ittihad this summer.

Felix has an ETV of €81.9m according to FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm, which is a number Barca would struggle to reach given their current financial predicament, while Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool have been resolute about keeping Salah at Anfield.

Joao Felix and Real Madrid could be the perfect match, one which both should explore.