Joao Felix and the story of Barcelona's vacant No.10 shirt this season

Ansu Fati's departure to Brighton opened the doors to Barcelona for Joao Félix, who had been waiting all summer to join the club. The Portuguese forward prioritised the Catalan side over other more financially lucrative offers in order to regain his smile, both on and off the pitch after a tough time with Atletico Madrid.

Félix arrives in Barcelona aware that he must first prove himself before claiming any kind of prominence.

When his loan deal was finalised until the end of the season, he had the option to wear the No.10 shirt, which had become free after the departure of Ansu Fati. However, Joao opted for the number 14, for several reasons.

Firstly, because the striker knows the weight of the No.10 and considers that his should be a different, more austere landing. His relationship with Atletico coach Diego Simeone was not the best and Félix knows that from some sectors they wanted to put the 'little star' label on him.

To get away from it, the striker preferred a less mediatic number, fleeing from the spotlight. If the spotlight falls on him, it is because he is beginning to show signs of his enormous footballing talent.

On the other hand, his entourage is no stranger to the context. Jorge Mendes also represents Ansu Fati, whose inner circle is not comfortable with the situation: Ansu was pushed to go out on loan and thanks to this, the Portuguese agent was able to solve the Joao Felix case. In this situation, inheriting Ansu's number would have added fuel to the fire.

Another reason for not taking on the No.10 has to do with Felix's contractual situation. Barça's finances are not in good shape and the Portuguese knows that, for now, his time at Barcelona is a period with an expiry date. It is an unknown quantity to predict what will happen in May 2024, but it was too bold to wear the No.10 under such circumstances.

For their part, the club saw it in exactly the same way as Félix. They considered that the most suitable option was to leave free the No.10, on which still falls the long shadow of Leo Messi, vacant.

Barça did not veto Joao Félix's choice of number but they did invite him to start his time as a Barça player in a more prudent way. The Portuguese opted for No.14, a number with which he will try to make merits to win over the fans and continue in Barcelona beyond next summer.