Sport: Félix hopes to rejoin Barcelona on a free transfer next summer; Mendes has informed the club

According to Sport, Félix, currently playing for Al Nassr, hopes to return to Barcelona on a free transfer next summer. Mendes has already informed Barcelona that the player wishes to join a Champions League team.

João Félix is staging one of football's great comeback stories. After several years of loans and transfers during which he struggled to find consistent form, the Portuguese player has rediscovered himself in Saudi Arabian football, unexpectedly becoming a key figure for the Portuguese national team. The 27-year-old is shining once again, and his market value is soaring.

João's contract with Al Nassr expires on June 30, and he is well aware that he will return to European football. He wants to join a Champions League team to stabilize his career, and his biggest dream is to return to Barcelona on a free transfer. His agent, Jorge Mendes, has conveyed this idea to Barcelona for next summer. Although competition for forward positions at Barcelona is fierce, this still presents a market opportunity.

João Félix's tenure at Barcelona was not entirely successful. He joined when the team was in a difficult situation, and he was not a player head coach Xavi Hernández actively sought; Xavi never fully trusted him. He arrived on a one-year loan from Atlético Madrid but never cemented a starting spot. Despite some standout moments throughout the season, Barcelona declined to activate his buy-out clause. The signing was more a club-level decision than a coach's request, with then-president Joan Laporta having high hopes for him at the time. Ultimately, Félix played 44 games for Barcelona, scoring 10 goals and providing 6 assists, but his inconsistent performances prevented him from staying.

Since then, João Félix has matured considerably. He then joined Chelsea, where he received little playing time during one of the London club's most difficult periods in recent years. Chelsea subsequently bought him out and signed him to a long-term contract until 2031. Eventually, in 2023, he decided to move to Saudi Arabia, playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, and has now become one of the top stars in the Saudi league.

The forward has found his ideal position, playing more centrally and with more minutes. He was never comfortable operating on the wing, as he needs to be closer to goal. As a result, his statistics have improved significantly; not only have his goals returned, but his assists are also more impactful. With Portugal, new coach Jorge Jesus knows him well and has entrusted him with leading the national team, rather than Ronaldo. This greatly displeased the former Real Madrid player, leading him to angrily leave national team training and consider retiring from international football.

In a recent interview with AS, João Félix stated that it is time to return to Europe and expressed his deep affection for Barcelona: "Since I was a child, I always wanted to play for Barcelona, and even if it was only for one year, it fulfilled my dream." In fact, the Portuguese player almost "rebelled" to push for that loan, aiming to leave Atlético Madrid under more favorable financial conditions.

João Félix's greatest obsession is to return to Barcelona and prove his worth. This is very similar to Cancelo's situation. For the full-back, Jorge Mendes previously helped him return to Barcelona on extremely favorable terms when it seemed impossible, and now he wants to replicate this operation for João Félix. Mendes also brokered a similar outcome for Adeyemi, who had requested to join Barcelona but ultimately signed elsewhere unexpectedly. Clearly, João Félix is not Barcelona's priority target, but next summer, due to financial constraints, it will be very difficult for Barcelona to make new signings. João can join for free and is willing to accept a significant pay cut. He also represents a type of forward that Barcelona currently lacks. It remains to be seen how things will unfold.

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