Barcelona trapped, as Liverpool, Arsenal both tipped to spring stunning transfer in 2024

Liverpool and Arsenal have been tipped to thwart Barcelona by signing a thriving forward who is well known to Premier League audiences.

Barcelona’s wheeling and dealing in the transfer market amid well-documented financial troubles appears to have worked a charm.

Indeed, Xavi’s side are unbeaten after five matches in LaLiga and kicked their Champions League campaign off with a thumping 5-0 victory over Royal Antwerp on Tuesday night.

Summer recruits Joao Cancelo, Ilkay Gundogan and Joao Felix all started the contest. Cancelo and Felix arrived on loan, while Gundogan joined as a free agent.

Of the three, it’s Felix whose future is unquestionably the most intriguing.

The Portuguese forward, 23, secured his ‘dream’ move by joining Barca on a season-long loan from Atletico Madrid.

Felix’s relationship with Atleti boss Diego Simeone has imploded and there appears to be no way back in the Spanish capital.

Atleti hoped to sell Felix outright over the summer and aimed to recoup much of the colossal £113m fee paid to Benfica back in 2019.

However, per a fresh update from Spain, Felix ‘refused’ to entertain offers from suitors other than Barcelona that included PSG, Arsenal and Liverpool.

But per the report (which is cited by the Liverpool Echo), Barcelona’s short-term gain could leave them trapped when the loan expires.

Felix heroics pricing himself out of permanent Barcelona switch

It’s reiterated Atleti will push for a permanent sale in the summer of 2024 and if Felix continues to impress, the elevated price Atleti will accept will be far beyond what Barca can pay.

Alternatively, if Felix disappoints, Barcelona wouldn’t push to re-sign Felix anyway. But given the Portuguese has scored three and assisted one in his first three matches, the signs point towards a fruitful campaign.

Barcelona won’t be able to compete with PSG, Arsenal or Liverpool if any of the trio reignite their interest in 2024.

On that front, it’s claimed all three clubs continue to keep Felix’s agent, Jorge Mendes, busy with regards to a future swoop.

Felix knows the Premier League well through his loan stint with Chelsea last term. The attacker regularly looked like Chelsea’s best player despite his inexperience in England and provided a rare bright spark in what was a truly dismal campaign for the Blues.

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