Barcelona hoping to sign La Liga forward on loan in the summer with €20 million purchase option

Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have been involved in numerous transfers in the attacking department in recent years.

While Antoine Griezmann moved from the Spanish capital to Catalonia before eventually pushing for a move back, Barcelona’s Memphis Depay also left the club for a place under Diego Simeone.

The latest transaction between the two Spanish giants involves Joao Felix, the player Los Rojiblancos touted to be Griezmann’s replacement. The player is currently on loan with Xavi’s side, but his future remains undecided.

Two parties meet

Ahead of Barcelona’s clash against Atletico Madrid at Civitas Metropolitano later today, the Colchoneros’ president Enrique Cerezo met with Barcelona president Joan Laporta for lunch in Madrid.

A number of topics were discussed between the two parties in the informal meeting, the most important of which was perhaps the future of Felix as revealed by Mundo Deportivo.

The Portuguese star’s current loan in Catalonia lasts only one season, and it is safe to say that he has not done enough to warrant a permanent transfer. Barcelona do not wish to give up on him quite yet.

They will not, however, go well and beyond their budget.

Laporta conveyed the club’s stance to Cerezo and informed the Atletico administrator that Barcelona were willing to sign the player on a loan deal next summer.

However, he insisted that such an operation would go through only if Los Rojiblancos agreed to include a purchase option of €20 million, the same figure they paid for the return of Antoine Griezmann.

A big night for Felix

Later today, Barcelona will take to the field against Diego Simeone’s side in what will be the weekend’s headline clash in La Liga.

If reports are to be believed, Xavi is expected to trust Felix with a start at Civitas Metropolitano as he hopes to capitalise on the phenom’s determination to shine against his former club.

Considering that Felix’s contract with Atleti runs until 2029, his future is still very much in the Madrid-based side’s control. A strong showing tonight, however, could go a long way in convincing his owners of his worth in the long term.