Barcelona keen on signing €80 million rated Chelsea target - Reports

Barcelona are reportedly keen on signing on-loan Chelsea forward Joao Felix from his parent club Atletico Madrid in the summer. The Blues are also interested in keeping the Portuguese forward permanently and are said to be willing to pay €80 million for him.

As per a report in El Nacional, Barcelona are ready to make a move for Felix in the summer. The Catalan side are keeping tabs on the forward as the futures of Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres hang in the balance.

Felix has played just two matches since joining Chelsea on loan in the January transfer window. He was sent off in under an hour on his debut, but managed to find the back of the net on his return to the pitch.

Xavi is said to be keen on getting the Portuguese forward to bolster his attack next season. The Spaniard has reportedly asked club president Joan Laporta to get the deal done. This will not be the first time the Blaugrana have signed a big-name forward from Los Rojiblancos, as they previously signed Antoine Griezmann in 2019.

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Barcelona target not sure about Chelsea future

Joao Felix has admitted that he has not decided what to do in the summer. The former Benfica man revealed that the Premier League side do not have an option in his current loan deal to sign him permanently, so no decision can be made before the end of the season.

Speaking to AS earlier this month, the Barcelona target said:

"It's a top club, as we all know. It's really, really well set up; it has everything. There are a lot of people surrounding the team who make sure that everything's going well, and that's really helpful. It's a very well structured club.

"They don't have a purchase option, so they'd have to reach an agreement with Atlético. I've only been here for a few weeks or so, a month. I'm still getting to know my new surroundings. I really like it here, but it's impossible to say what'll happen in the future."

Speaking about his decision to leave Atletico Madrid, the forward claimed:

"I had been looking for a change of scene for a while, because it was difficult to get used to the way we played. I left because I had had enough of trying and not succeeding. I had to leave in January and I think it has been a good thing for Atlético and for me.

"Confidence has to come from within the player, too. It didn't to begin with, but by my third year I was always 100% confident. And it's normal for a coach to have more confidence in some than others."

Felix was added to the UEFA Champions League squad by Chelsea, with former Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang missing out to accommodate him.