Joao Felix's Barcelona dream move a 'hopeful yet complex pursuit'

The departure of Ousmane Dembele has ignited urgency within the Catalans, prompting a more fervent pursuit in the transfer arena, as coach Xavi Hernandez actively seeks a suitable replacement.

Xavi has identified Bernardo Silva as the primary choice. However, prospects of Silva's arrival from Manchester City are dim, prompting Barcelona to explore alternatives, with Felix emerging as a contender.

Sources from MARCA indicate that the 23-year-old Felix wants to join Barcelona, even being prepared to wait until the eleventh hour to secure a spot ahead of the new La Liga campaign.

During the earlier part of the summer, the Portuguese international publicly expressed his eagerness to unite with Barcelona, spurred by a disappointing stint at Premier League side Chelsea.

Felix's strong desire to don the Barca colours have cast a shadow on Atletico Madrid's plans, who now face complications in facilitating his transfer to Camp Nou.

Al Hilal of the Saudi Pro League have extended a loan offer for Felix, though neither the player nor the club find the proposition appealing. Rejecting a move to the Middle East, Felix remains steadfast in his pursuit of elite-level football in Europe.

Nonetheless, the feasibility of Felix's Camp Nou move appears tenuous, particularly due to Xavi's prevailing reservations about the player's capabilities.

In an intriguing twist, the MARCA report does mention SL Benfica as a plausible recourse for Felix, in case his endeavour to secure a berth at a leading club in the summer transfer window falters.

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