Barcelona attacker’s continuity for next season a doubt as he loses prominence

According to Gabriel Sanz’s report in Mundo Deportivo, Joao Felix might not be as important in Barcelona’s team anymore, leading to doubts over his continuity at the club next season, either on loan again or by leaving permanently. 

It is no secret that Felix is facing some tough times within the Barcelona team. His role is diminishing, raising doubts about his future with the club. 

As such, lack has game time has put a big question mark over his future and the fact that Xavi is preferring Raphinha and Lamine Yamal on the wings poses another challenge for the Portuguese.

On the other hand, Barcelona are in no mood to dislodge Yamal from the right wing and for the other flank, the team is already thinking of a bigger investment, namely Nico Williams, which will put Felix under further scrutiny.

Felix is losing prominence

During the recent match against Real Sociedad, Felix did not get any playtime despite warming up for most of the second half. Xavi, chose not to use all available substitutions, indicating a lack of confidence in Felix’s abilities.

Joao Felix might return to Atletico Madrid in the summer. (Photo by PAU BARRENA/AFP via Getty Images)

In the past eight games, comprising six La Liga matches and two Champions League encounters, Felix has only started once, and that was against Cadiz where he played for 85 minutes and scored a goal. 

However, his participation in subsequent matches has been limited to mere minutes on the field. He barely got any playtime against teams like Girona, Valencia, and Real Madrid, and his appearances in Champions League games have been similarly sparse.

Xavi is not counting on Felix

To put in numbers, he has tallied just 64 minutes out of 450 minutes possible in the last five matches.

Felix’s struggle for playing time is evident in both domestic and European competitions. Out of the last seven Champions League games, he has only started once and barely featured in others. 

His absence from crucial matches against teams like Napoli, PSG, and Real Madrid is notable. In essence, it can be argued that Xavi does not count on him in crunch ties, and this could be a reason enough for him to return to Atletico Madrid.