Atletico Madrid Decline Barcelona’s Player-Swap Offer For Promising Forward: Should Barca Go Back In? | OneFootball

Marca has recently revealed that Atletico Madrid have declined Barcelona‘s player-swap offer for Joao Felix which involved Antoine Griezmann heading in the other direction. It is understood that Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu made a surprising move by giving up Griezmann in exchange of the Atletico striker just days before the Catalan outfit’s humiliating 8-2 defeat versus Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.

However, Diego Simeone’s team had no intention of entertaining such a possibility and decided to walk away from Bartomeu’s proposal (via Marca).

Felix’s Underwhelming Debut Campaign At Madrid

The Benfica youth product endured a tough debut season at the Spanish capital as he failed to break into the double figures mark in terms of goal-scoring while operating as the focal point of Simeone’s attack. The Viseu-born talent banged in nine goals and grabbed three assists in 36 games for the Madrid giants in the previous campaign across all fronts.

Multiple injuries hampered his development at the Wanda Metropolitano last season. He struggled to be productive with his overall contributions in the final third after he averaged 2.5 shots, 0.6 key passes and 0.8 dribbles per game in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League. The 20-year-old was also guilty of being a bit sloppy when distributing the ball as evidenced by his pass success rate of 78.9% in the top tier of Spanish football (stats via whoscored).

What Does The Portuguese Prospect Offer On The Field?

Felix is a deceptively quick marksman who can be a constant menace for the opposition defenders because of his dribbling ability and knack for finding space in the final third. The Portuguese starlet packs a lot of power with his shots from long range that makes him a potent goal-threat up top. During his time with Benfica, he managed to transform himself into a lethal finisher in front of goal but has struggled to live up to the growing expectations surrounding his move to Spain last summer.

Should The Catalans Go Back In With Another Bid For Felix This Summer?

Despite his recent poor injury record and lack of form, Barca should consider launching another move for Felix as he has the potential to become a generational talent, who could serve as a long-term replacement for Lionel Messi at the Nou Camp. He will add a lot of pace and dynamism to Ronald Koeman’s frontline but is yet to prove his true worth in the Spanish top-flight.

If the Catalan club fail to keep hold of their Argentine superstar, then maybe Bartomeu would be wise to offer him in return for Felix this summer. It’s high time that the Spanish giants build their squad with the future in mind, so recruiting the under-performing Atletico star will be a step in the right direction for them heading into a post-Messi era at Catalonia.