Revealed: Joao Felix Was Offered To Man Utd, Man City Before Securing Barca Move

Paulo Futre, a former winger for Portugal and Atletico Madrid, claims Joao Felix was courted by Manchester giants before deciding to join Barcelona.

Futre claims that after Joao Felix’s loan from Chelsea ended this summer, he was made available to a number of teams, including Manchester United and Manchester City, but neither club was interested in buying the forward. Even though Atletico had discussions with Aston Villa about a potential transfer, the player turned down the offer.

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Speaking to Cadena Ser, Futre said, “When João said he dreamed of playing for Barça I began to live a nightmare that lasts to this day. I called him [Mendes] and told him that the statements that Joao had made were his doing and he said no. We argued on the phone and he told me that he had spoken to Manchester United. I verified what he told me because I have friends and it was true. Later he had spoken with Manchester City, I also checked and they didn’t want João either.

“What happened between João and Cholo [Diego Simeone] happens every day in football. It’s something normal. What is not normal is that phenomenal coaches knew that João was a genius (…) he entered their game system, but nobody wanted him. Neither Arteta, nor Guardiola, nor Klopp, any club… My question is why? The only team that has wanted him has been Aston Villa. Joao said no when there was an agreement between Atleti and Aston Villa at the beginning of July.”

On the day of the transfer deadline, Felix joined Barcelona on a one-year loan move after being turned down by the Premier League’s top clubs. The teenage forward seems to be in scorching form at the start of the season, scoring three goals and providing two assists in four outings so far. The switch to the Catalan giants has proven to be a blessing for the forward.

Tuesday’s La Liga match between Barcelona and Mallorca will be Felix’s next appearance in action.