How a hidden clause in Griezmann's deal could help Barca sign Felix this summer
FT Desk
- 12 Apr 2022 10:43 CDT
- 5 min read
There’s no doubt that one of the most spectacular moves that Barcelona could pull off this summer would be the signing of Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix.
The young Portugal star has for some time now been considered one of Europe’s most promising talents and there’s no denying that Barca are desperate to sign him. In fact, their president admitted as much in a recent interview.
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"I love Joao Félix. In the summer a swap with [Antoine] Griezmann was attempted but Atletico said 'no',” declared club president Joan Laporta in an interview with RAC1.
However, while Barca may have missed out on the young forward last summer, this coming transfer window could prove to be far more encouraging for the Catalan giants.
Atleti already owe them €40m
At this moment in time, Felix is worth a staggering €53 million and could end up costing Barca as much as €67 million in a few months' time. However, fortunately for the club, they already have some credit on account with Atleti.
That’s down to the agreement the capital club made when they took Antoine Griezmann back on loan this season. According to El Desmarque, there was a clause in the loan agreement that stated that Atleti would need to make a purchase offer to buy the France international if he played over 40 percent of the club’s games.
Griezmann has now done that and as such Atleti will have to buy the forward, who is still worth a decent €40m in today’s market.
As such, whatever Atleti demand from Barca for Felix this summer it will likely include a €40m discount as they sign Griezmann on a permanent deal in return. Which will undoubtedly go a long way to helping Barca sign the young forward for nowhere near the €126m Atleti paid for him in 2019.
