"If it happens, it will be a dream come true" - Ex-Chelsea star Joao Felix names club he'd love to play for

Former Chelsea forward Joao Felix has admitted that he dreams of playing for Barcelona.

Felix was seen as a direct replacement for Antoine Griezmann in the summer of 2019, with the latter joining Barcelona for €120 million. The Portugal international cost Atletico Madrid €127.2 million but he has failed to live up to the price tag.

Felix, as per GOAL, has a fractured relationship with Diego Simeone and was made to train with their youth team recently. He has been heavily linked with a transfer this summer and has now given a clear indication about his preferred destination.

In comments exclusively given to Fabrizio Romano, the former SL Benfica forward said:

"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."

Felix has four years left on his contract and one can imagine Atletico would want to recoup some of the money they paid for his services four years ago. Cracks in his relationship with Simeone appeared last season as he was allowed to join Chelsea on a six-month loan in January.

The Blues did not have the option to purchase the striker, which means Felix is primed to start the season with Atletico unless he is sold or loaned out. It remains to be seen if Barcelona are open to having the 23-year-old on their team.

It has been claimed that a fee of £10 million could be enough to loan Felix for the upcoming season, with Aston Villa also interested in the player. He has registered 34 goals and 18 assists in 131 career games for Atletico.

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What Joao Felix said about his nightmare start to Chelsea career

Joao Felix began life at Chelsea in the worst possible manner after being sent off on his debut in a 2-1 league loss against Fulham in January.

The Portuguese forward, who cost Chelsea £10 million in loan fees, was shown a straight red card in the 58th minute for a studs-up challenge on Kenny Tete. He was handed a three-game suspension.

Recalling the incident the following month, Felix told AS:

"I was playing well, and that’s football. These things happen. It’s just like missing a great chance to score or missing a penalty. I got a red card, but these things happen in football. We have to be able to deal with that. I didn’t let it get me down."

It didn't get any better for Felix after that. He ended his spell in west London with just four goals in 20 games across competitions.