Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has delivered a stern response to Portuguese forward Joao Felix after he told the media that he would ‘love’ to play for La Liga rivals Barcelona.
Having spent the latter half of last season on loan in the Premier League with Chelsea, Joao Felix revealed last week that it is his dream to play for Barcelona.
The forward had hoped to return to Stamford Bridge next season after showing glimmers of class, however a move looks very unlikely due to Financial Fair Play restrictions and other factors.
His comments on Barcelona were exclusively revealed by transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, causing outrage amongst fans in Madrid as he is still under contract with Atletico until 2027.
“Barcelona has always been my first choice and I’d love to join Barça.” Felix told Romano.
“It was always my dream since I was a kid.
“If it happens, it will be a dream come true for me.”
🚨 EXCLUSIVE — João Félix statement on his future: “I’d love to play for Barça”.
◉ “Barcelona has always been my first choice and I’d love to join Barça”.
◉ “It was always my dream since I was a kid”.
◉ “If it happens, it will be a dream come true for me”. pic.twitter.com/3zg9BiCDgO
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 18, 2023
READ MORE: Manchester United And Barcelona Hit With Hefty Fines For Breaching UEFA’s FFP Rules
Felix left Benfica for La Liga in 2019, becoming Atleti’s club record purchase for around €126million, but he hasn’t quite lived up to the hype since making the switch.
Since returning from his loan, he has lost his number seven shirt and has been training separately from the squad, therefore it looks to be just a matter of time before his exit is confirmed.
Diego Simeone, who has been Atletico’s manager throughout Felix’s entire spell with the club, delivered a response to the Portuguese international’s comments.
“The most important thing is that none of us who are inside the team is more important than Atlético de Madrid.” he said.
“Atleti is much more important than all of us.”
Diego Simeone on João Félix: “The most important thing is that none of us who are inside the team is more important than Atlético de Madrid”. ⚪️🔴🇵🇹
“Atleti is much more important than all of us”. pic.twitter.com/931UgICUMO
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 26, 2023
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