Atletico Madrid put Barcelona in tough spot with Joao Felix

There was a time when Barcelona could sign any player they wanted away from every Spanish club not named Real Madrid. Those days are no more. Atletico Madrid has found a simple way to keep Joao Felix from heading back to Barcelona again next season on a permanent basis.

The talented Portuguese attacker hasn't hidden his desire to return to Camp Nou next season. The problem is that Diego Simeone and the higher-ups at Atletico Madrid know they have Barcelona in a precarious position. That's why they've slapped a potential $60 million price tag on Felix this summer.

That does not mean that Simeone sees Felix in his first team plans for next season. He's an awkward stylistic fit with Atletico's more physical style of play. In truth, Felix operates much more like a Barcelona player. That's why many Spanish fans believed his transfer to Barcelona this summer was a foregone conclusion.

Atletico Madrid clearly have other ideas.

Atletico Madrid won't let Joao Felix go to Barcelona for less than top dollar

Atleti are happy to let Felix go this summer but they know he's a hot commodity that can command a significant transfer fee. It's likely they'd prefer to sell him to a different league where they won't face the prospect of playing against him multiple times per season. At the very least, Atletico want to make sure Barcelona are forced to pay top dollar for Felix to restrict their rivals' other transfer dealings.

It's also possible that Atletico Madrid are just trying to put this asking price out into the media to force Barcelona to up their potential bid to get closer to Felix's true valuation. It would not be the first time the Spanish press has been used to influence transfer dealings.

The odds still favor Felix ultimately finding his way back to Barcelona after his time with Portugal in Euro 2024 is finished. It won't be a simple bid for the two Spanish rivals to come together to complete. Felix and his admirers will need to wait several more weeks before the player's future is decided.