"He could have...", the harsh words on Joao Felix from a former teammate at Atlético

Joao Felix did everything he could to play in Barcelona this season. First he gave an interview to journalist Fabrizio Romano in which he assured that his dream since he was a child was to play for the Catalan side. This paved the way for Los Blaugranas to start negotiations for him, while upsetting Atlético Madrid fans. And then he accepted a huge reduction in his salary in order to get to Barcelona without violating financial fair play rules.

And his decision seems to have been the right one, as in his first 3 games he has shown great performances. Against Real Betis he scored a goal and 'assisted' Robert Lewandowski without touching the ball, while in the Champions League debut against Royal Antwerp he netted twice and was voted MVP.

However, this week he received criticism from a former Atlético Madrid teammate. In an interview with Movistar Plus, Saúl Ñiguez was asked about Joao Felix and said: "He is a great player, he had the bad luck of not being able to show it in this team. As a player I know he is very good, then you have to want to, try to adapt. In his head he was not at his best or in the best way and it could not be here".

Then he added: "I wish him all the best, that everything goes well for him at Barça, he has started very strong. I think he could have done things better, he has not done them and that in the end has taken its toll on the club, logically".

What will happen to him?

Joao Felix arrived at Barcelona this summer on a season-long loan from Atlético Madrid. This means that in July 2024 he will have to return to Los Colchoneros, although he will hardly be taken into account by coach Diego Simeone. In addition, in the course of La Liga he will have to face his former teammates twice. The first of these matches will be on December 3, when Barcelona and Atlético Madrid play in Catalonia.