In July, a bombshell was dropped by world-renowned football journalist Fabrizio Romano. Where he had an exclusive interview with famous Portuguese youngster Joao Felix. Felix was reported commenting “I’d love to play for Barcelona, Barcelona has always been my first choice!” , “It was my dream since I was a kid!”. These comments took the internet by storm and caused a ruckus at the Madrid Capital. Fans took it to Wanda Metropolitano to vandalise Felix’s plaque and write carve slurs and messages such as “go to Barcelona”.
Soon, this story was followed by a Spanish journalist, Manu Sainz. Sainz is very close to Felix’s Agent, Jorge Mendes reported saying “Atletico Madrid have cleared Joao Felix to join Barcelona on loan with a option to buy. The operation could be completed this week”. This was followed by more positive rumours about Felix joining Barcelona from various Spanish news media outlets.
Finally on 1st September 2023, Joao Felix joins FC Barcelona on loan. So, today we analysis Joao Felix and find the complete details about him.
The Deal in Question:
Barcelona are suffering financially due to La Liga’s strict FFP (Financial Fairplay regulations) rules so how does it make sense? Let’s and try and find out shall we?
It is going to be 1 year Loan deal without an option to buy. Moreover, Joao Felix took a wage reduction before joining Barcelona on a 1 year loan deal.
Et tu, Brutus?
Ousmane Dembele is already a PSG player after the Parsian Club activated his ‘private clause’ of 50 million euros. This Betrayal by Dembele has not only significantly weakened the Catalan frontline but has also left a gaping hole on the creative side uptop. Joao can help fix this exact problem and also help strengthen the forwardline. Now, this does not imply that Joao is going to be the “Dembele Replacement” for Barcelona. But instead, he would only add value and firepower to the club’s attack.
Player Profile:
Joao Felix, how good is he? Felix plays as false 9 when played as centre forward, a support striker or second striker in a front two and as a inside foward when deployed out on the left flank.
Joao is an elite dribbler who looks to combine his agility with his close control and flair to leave defenders in splits. Many have compared his dribbling prowess to legendary players like Ricardo Kaka (and this comparison isn’t solely due to facial similarities). However, one notable aspect in which he falls short, unlike a 23-year-old Kaka, is physicality. Heavy dribblers are often required to possess physical strength to fend off even the most imposing defenders, something that Felix lacks.
Despite lacking the same level of physicality as some heavy dribblers, Felix compensates with his exceptional creativity and a wide array of dribbling tricks. These skills enable him to maneuver past defenders with ease and escape from tight areas on the pitch. His inventiveness and quick footwork make him a formidable force when taking on opponents, even without relying solely on physical strength. Felix also uses his dribbling as a tool to progress the ball from deep or from central areas of the pitch thus making him a real good ball progress
Ball to feet player
One of the most notable aspects of Felix is he isn’t a proactive forward or someone who regularly makes runs into the box for his team or the one to finish an attack, Actually on the contrary he is someone who, looks like he has no real desire to be a regular goal threat for his team. And this comes as huge surprise considering the fact that he actually has really good finishing, spatial awareness and vision. He also often makes late runs into the box or look to roam just outside the box when the team is in the final third. But considering how Felix likes to drive up forward with pace and who is also very quick off the ball with good aerial dominance and ability to win headers, he is a player who should easily be averaging 15 goals a season.
But this hasn’t been the case for him as Felix’s expressive and attacking style of play doesn’t quite fit with Atletico Madrid’s more defensive and counter-attacking approach. The team’s emphasis on deep defending and quick counter-attacks may limit his chances to showcase his full potential and creativity on the field. As a result, he might not have been able to flourish in the same way he would in a more attack-oriented team that encourages players to freely express themselves in the attacking third. These tactical differences could be influencing his performance and overall impact on the team.
Might suit an attacking team better
In Transition, Felix has amazing link up play and creativity. He often drops deep to collect the ball or look to find space between opposition lines from where he can either carry the ball forward or look to link up with his teammates and create attacking chances. Felix oozes creativity on the ball, his vision to find space and play passes to player is eye-catching! Although his link up play is often risky in possession, more often than not it leads to stunning passes and crosses and due to his ability to link up with players and play in line breaking passes and crosses, Coaches often use Felix as a left sided inside forward. He also looks to play long passes to play a player in behind opposition defense or look to switch flanks with these passes.
Despite all this then why hasn’t he been able to provide good amount of assists? The answer is quite simple, lack of runners uptop at Atletico. He played alongside players like Griezmann and Depay who aren’t your typical No.9s but more of creative deep lying forwards. Morata who is a typical 9 at Atletico is synonymous with wasting his chances. The only season where he had a very good impact on the team was when he played with a pure no.9 in Luis Suarez. At Chelsea, he faced a similar issue as there were no players who would be making runs in behind the opposition.
Very useful tactically
In Defense, Felix’s most underrated attribute is his pressing ability as in press he is extremely aggressive and looks to win back possession immediately and successfully does so most of the time but the only flaw being he presses sporadically, which also a Simeone characteristic style of play but his pressing would be hugely successful and impactful in possession high line high pressing teams which look to win back possession quickly and cause turnovers in higher areas of the pitch.
Felix’s versatility and skill set make him well-suited for various attacking roles in different tactical setups. As a right-sided attacking midfielder in a 3-2-2-3 attacking formation, he could exploit his dribbling ability, vision, and passing skills to create chances for the team. This position would allow him to cut inside from the right flank and contribute to the team’s attacking play.
Suits Xavi’s formation?
As a left-sided creative inside forward, Felix could thrive by tucking inside early and operating in central areas of the pitch. This position would enable him to utilize his creativity, technical abilities, and goal-scoring prowess to influence the game from more central positions.
Deploying Felix in these roles within suitable attacking structures could potentially bring out the best in his playing style and allow him to be a key playmaker and goal threat for the team.
Absolutely, you’re absolutely right! Felix could indeed provide excellent cover for a striker like Lewandowski, and playing alongside players like Pedri, Lewandowski, and Gundogan, who frequently make runs into the box, would complement Felix’s playing style perfectly.
As a Second Striker, operating similarly to how Dennis Bergkamp used to play, Felix could excel in linking up the play between midfield and attack. His ability to drop deep, create space, and pick out key passes would make him a valuable asset in this role. Moreover, Felix’s technical skills, vision, and goal-scoring ability would allow him to be a constant threat to the opposition defense, making him a complete package as a Second Striker.
Adapting Felix’s position based on the team’s tactical requirements and the strengths of his teammates would ensure that he can fully utilize his talents and have a significant impact on the game. This kind of tactical flexibility can be beneficial for both the player and the team, maximizing their overall performance.
Final Thoughts
The biggest question about Felix is does he fit at Barcelona? Looking purely from a theoretical standpoint, Felix has all the skills required for him to succeed at Barcelona. The only problem? he is a bit unfurnished for his age. But it’s fixable with correct guidance and experience.
In the end, Joao Felix is one of the biggest mismanaged players in the last few years, as he is yet to show his true potential. For that, he needs an environment perfectly suited for his needs, and there is no greater move in one’s career than moving to Barcelona.
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