Barcelona poised to extend a permanent contract offer to their standout forward
By Zoheb Alam
Securing a victory against Alaves has brought a sense of relief to Barcelona, especially following a narrow, yet embarrassing, defeat against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League that left the Catalans hiding their faces in Germany.
Moving on, to sum up the performances of Xavi’s men, it’s safe to say they have been far from their best. A loss against Alaves could have worsened matters for Xavi. However, thanks to a second-half brace from Robert Lewandowski, the La Liga giants secured all three points, maintaining their strong position in this competitive league season.
Now, in a recent interview with SPORT, Barça’s sporting director Deco promptly disclosed insights into the future paths of numerous players. The Portuguese clarified when asked about the likes of Frenkie de Jong, Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix.
Talking about Felix, Deco stated that the club is considering a permanent deal for the attacker after his decent start to life in the Blaugrana outfit. In his stint at Camp Nou, the attacker has scored only one goal and has provided two assists so far in the ongoing league campaign.
Barcelona could hand a permanent deal to Joao Felix
His recent performances have been average to say the least. The former Chelsea loanee has looked wayward in the final third and has often cut a frustrating figure with his dry returns in front of goal.
The 24-year-old is presently under an extensive contract with Barca, legally obliged to remain at the club until June 30, 2024, without any provision for converting the deal into a permanent transfer.
Felix is on relatively low wages and extended his contract with Atletico Madrid in order to make the deal happen. Should Barcelona want to keep him permanently, some tough negotiations are in store with the Colchoneros.
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Barcelona will be confident of striking a permanent deal should they opt to keep Felix beyond his present agreement. There will be more clarity on this anticipated deal once we hit the business end of the season or by the start of the summer window in June.