The focus of Liverpool conversation is on the transfer of Southampton's Romeo Lavia, with Jurgen Klopp's side set to lodge a second offer for the Belgium international this week, but there is perhaps room for another midfield acquisition after a tumultuous window thus far.

The Reds knew that they would lose a large chunk of their centre, with James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all leaving in June after concluding their contracts, but stability was threatened when Saudi Arabian outfits emerged as suitors for Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, who join the aforementioned trio in leaving Anfield.

Moves have been made to upgrade on last season's options and Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai certainly look to be fantastic purchases for the Merseyside outfit, but even if the deal to sign Lavia, aged 19, steers over the line, some might feel that another defensive midfielder would be necessary to truly restore the equilibrium.

Who will Liverpool sign this summer?

According to journalist Bruno Andrade – via Sport Witness – Fluminense ace Andre's agent Jorge Mendes is currently 'in the process' of transferring the 22-year-old to England, and despite rival interest from Fulham, Liverpool are believed to be in the driving seat.

A fee of €20m (£17m) would be enough to prise Andre away from his homeland, with Klopp chasing a deal this summer.

How good is Andre?

Yet to dip his toes into European football, Andre has made quite the name for himself in Brazil and is an integral part of Fluminense's system, hailed as a "leader" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, who are currently fourth in the Série A.

As per Sofascore, the gem has averaged a match rating of 7.09 this season after 14 matches, completing 94% of his passes, averaging 2.1 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game, and succeeding with 71% of his dribbles and 62% of his duels.

Those statistics are illuminated in glory by FBref who rank him among the top 1% of midfielders across Men's Next Eight divisions for pass completion and the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90. As such, he might just be the perfect man to bolster Liverpool's midfield and ensure that Lavia does not find too great a weight heaped upon his shoulders.

With right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold's new hybrid role foraying into midfield and unleashing his creativity and superlative ball-playing ability from the centre, an industrious and composed figure such as Andre could pay dividends.

The England international has rebuked for his defensive mishaps last term as Liverpool struggled for any vestige of form and fluidity, even being called a "training dummy" by reporter Casey Evans after being obliterated by the fleet-footed Vinicius Jr. in the Champions League.

A tactical alteration from Klopp saw Alexander-Arnold move in-field, playing in a double-six, and Andre could indeed be the perfect partner to allow him to exhibit his flair.

Indeed, the 24-year-old was a centrepiece during Liverpool's late-season resurgence and was hailed as "sensational" by commentator Martin Tyler after clinching eight goal contributions from the final ten matches of the league campaign.

It would be an astute purchase, and if Liverpool can afford to part with the reported £17m they simply must do so in order to chart a course for success.

Mahedi Hasan and Rashid Khan returned combined figures of 4 for 34 in eight overs as Comilla defended 153 and rose to second on the table

The Report by Mohammad Isam18-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRaton Gomes/BCB

Comilla Victorians’ spin duo of Mahedi Hasan and Rashid Khan returned combined figures of 4 for 34 in eight overs to fire their team to a fourth successive win in the 2017-18 BPL and rise to second spot on the table. In a match whose value shot up simply by the presence of the number of marquee names, Comilla defended a total of 153 for 6 to beat Rangpur Riders by 14 runs in font of a packed Shere Bangla National Stadium.Rangpur were severely bolstered by the arrivals of Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum. But their explosive power at the top could not come to their aid in a chase of 154. Rashid, the 19-year old legspinner, struck with his second ball, trapping Gayle lbw and opening the gates, as Rangpur never quite recovered.Comilla’s innings was built around Imrul Kayes’ 32-ball 47 at the top, followed by a more sedate 41 off 34 balls from Marlon Samuels. Mashrafe Mortaza led his attack brilliantly, snaring 2 for 22 in four overs, while Thisara Perera’s 2 for 26 saw him become the Sri Lankan, after Lasith Malinga, to take 200 wickets in T20 cricket.Mashrafe calls the early shotsComilla boast a top four that can pack quite a punch, but for all their hitting prowess, Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das and Jos Buttler combined for a total of 33 runs and fell well inside the first half of their innings. Rubel Hossain struck first when he got rid of Tamim Iqbal after getting spanked for a brace of fours earlier in the over. Mashrafe then struck twice in three balls. First, Liton Das desperately charged down and swung clumsily to lose his middle stump. Then, with the second ball of his next over, Mashrafe had Buttler trapped in front of middle and off after the batsman looked to play across the line. Comilla were reduced to 55 for 3 in the ninth over.Kayes keeps Comilla tickingFrom 55 for 3, Kayes and Samuels steered them to 100, adding 45 runs for the fourth wicket. Kayes’ knock wasn’t the most convincing one, but it served its purpose and set Comilla up nicely for the slog overs. He went on to become Thisara Perera’s 200th scalp, when somelate reverse swing took out his leg stump.Samuels continued to find the boundary at timely intervals, before he too fell to Perera, reaching out to a wide yorker and nicking off to the keeper. Samuels struck four fours and a six in his knock. Mohammad Saifuddin launched the final over of the innings with a six and a four against Rubel as Comilla pinched 14 runs off it and crossed the 150 mark.Gayle and McCullum’s rocky startPerhaps the biggest talking point heading into this game was Gayle and McCullum joining forces at the top of the order for Rangpur. While the duo would make for a potent partnership on most days, Comilla chose to counter them by opening the bowling with the off-spin of Mahedi. The young offspinner pinged Gayle’s pad with the first ball he bowled to the left-hander. Though it looked dead plumb to the naked eye, umpire Ranmore Martinsez refused to budge despite Comilla desperately pleading with him. Replays later showed that the ball was heading towards Gayle’s legstump.Mahedi’s first over had cost just 1, but Brendon McCullum reversed the pressure on Comilla by crunching a six and a four in the next over, off Al-Amin Hossain. Mahedi was then denied a wicket for a second time when McCullum got down to sweep him and the ball just about shaved his legstump. Two deliveries after that, Hasan Ali had Gayle dropped off his bowling when Liton Das failed to latch on to a catch after running back. With Gayle punishing Hasan for three fours in the over, it seemed as though Comilla would be left to pay a heavy price for the lapses.Rashid, Mahedi rip through RangpurRashid Khan’s introduction immediately added a sense of eagerness to the game. The potential of a contest between two of the heaviest hitters and the opposition’s most wily bowler was exciting. Two balls were all it took for Rashid to come out on top of that one as he got one to skid into Gayle’s pads. Gayle, however, wasn’t second-time lucky as the umpire gave him out despite the ball having pitched outside leg. Two balls later, he had Kusal Perera sweeping at a googly and top-edge to backward square leg.Mahedi followed it up with a double-strike of his own in the next over. McCullum charged down to a length ball and got nowhere to the pitch of the delivery to be stumped. Shahriar Nafees had his off-stump flattened with one that gripped and turned, and Rangpur had lost four wickets in eight balls.Laboured consolidationRavi Bopara survived on 1 when Kayes couldn’t hold on to a spectacular effort at first slip. Thereafter, he and Mohammad Mithun got down to rebuilding Rangpur’s innings, although Comilla’s bowlers greatly slowed things down. By the time the partnership was broken, when Mithun drove Al-Amin Hossain straight to Tamim at extra cover, they had added 67. But in the face of a mounting required rate, the partnership did not have its desired impact, as Rangpur were left requiring 55 runs off the remaining 28 balls.

Everton are keen on Almeria striker El Bilal Toure and he is a player that has been 'tracked for a while' at Goodison Park, according to Daily Express reporter Ryan Taylor.

Is El Bilal Toure moving to Everton or Atalanta?

There's a lot of conflicting information surrounding Toure as his future at Almeria remains uncertain. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano issued an update earlier this week involving his potential next move, stating on Twitter X: "Atalanta are closing El Bilal Touré deal — to be signed on Tuesday… here we go soon. More details after late night bid. €28m fixed fee, €3m add ons. 15% sell-on clause to Almería. 15% sell-on clause to Almería. Medical this week. Medical this week."

Nevertheless, journalist Alan Myers has claims that lead to a different conclusion, as he also said on Twitter X: "Everton remain in negotiations with Almeria for El Bilal Toure' despite reports suggesting the player had already decided to join Atalanta The 21-year-old Mali striker is set to decide his future in the coming days with Everton having agreed a deal with Almeria, EFC still in it."

In a sea of moving parts, Toure has gained recognition for his exploits last term, where he registered seven goals and two assists from 25 appearances in all competitions for Almeria, as per Transfermarkt.

L'Equipe report that Almeria have started negotiations with Lorient for striker Ibrahima Kone, who would act as a replacement for Toure as he gears up to leave the Power Horse Stadium.

Blackburn Rovers will provide competition in the hunt to sign Kone, who will cost in the region of €7-8 million to land from the Ligue 1 outfit.

As per Capology, Toure earns €11,154 (£9,648) per week on a contract at Almeria that runs until June 2028. At the same time, he has a release clause worth €40 million (£34.4 million).

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Daily Express reporter Taylor expects to see 'movement' on Toure's future 'in the coming days' in the midst of interest from Everton and Atalanta.

Taylor stated: "Yeah I think we're likely to see that ramp up this week. I think talks were advanced from what I understand and we could see movement in the coming days.

“He's a player that's been tracked for a while by Everton. The links with him started sort of months ago."

What now for Everton?

Everton boss Sean Dyche will be looking to perform some smart deals in the transfer market following the additions of Ashley Young and Arnaut Danjuma to his squad, as per Transfermarkt.

FootballTransfers claim that if a deal for Toure goes off the rails, Leicester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho is a potential alternative that could be targeted at Goodison Park.

Leeds United attacker Wilfried Gnonto is another player being tracked by Everton and it is believed that they are frontrunners to acquire the Italy international, as per Football Insider.

Southampton striker Che Adams has also garnered attention from Everton alongside Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and overseas clubs, according to The Daily Mail.

USMNT star Christian Pulisic has been told how to command the respect of AC Milan fans after making a strong start to life in Italy.

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• Pulisic told how to earn AC Milan respect
• USMNT star has started well in Italy
• Milan have two realistic shots at silverware

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Pulisic has made a solid start to life at the San Siro since joining AC Milan from Chelsea in a £18 million ($22.41 million) move over the summer. The USMNT attacker has scored six goals and provided four assists in 16 Serie A appearances, but he's been told that winning silverware would be a sure-fire way to earn the total respect of the club's fans.

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• WHAT CHARLIE DAVIES SAID

  Speaking on , pundit Charlie Davies said: "It's the respect you get from the Milan fans. He'll [Pulisic] go down as being one of those players who helped to win a trophy. When you create history it doesn't matter where you're from, they look at what you did for the team.

  "Right now we know Pulisic has done a lot for Milan, and he's just getting started. This isn't the end product, this isn't the end game. He's at the start of his journey with Milan. We just need him to stay healthy."

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Milan were eliminated from the Champions League at the group stage, and already look to be out of the Serie A title race. However, Stefano Pioli's side are one of the favourites to win the Europa League, and on Tuesday they reached the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia by beating Cagliari 4-1.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Milan have not won a major European trophy since the Champions League in 2007, and have not won the Coppa Italia since 2003. Pulisic's last major trophy win came in 2021 when he helped Chelsea win the Champions League.

Cheslea boss, Mauricio Pochettino, admitted that his full-back, Malo Gusto, was perhaps lucky to remain on the field after a challenge on Willian.

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• Gusto escaped red for challenge on Willian
• Chelsea won 1-0 thanks to Palmer penalty
• Chelsea climb to eighth above Man Utd and Newcastle

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  With the score still at 0-0, Gusto reached to challenge Willian but caught the former Chelsea winger's ankle in what appeared a rash tackle. Chelsea would go on to score just 10 minutes later and win the game 1-0. Fulham will feel aggrieved the card Gusto received was yellow and not red, and Pochettino shared his thoughts on the incident after the game.

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  WHAT POCHETTINO SAID

  Pochettino told t: "It was a challenge, a difficult one for the referees and VAR. We've already suffered some sending offs for actions like this. I'm not going to say nothing, I accept and understand that it was maybe a red card. I don't want to say too much because I've not seen all the angles. That is football though, sometimes it is for you and sometimes it isn't."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Chelsea's victory takes them up to eighth in the Premier League, leapfrogging Manchester United and Newcastle. Although the sides around them have games in hand, the Blues boss will be pleased to see his side reestablishing themselves higher up the table after a dismal 2023.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

  The Blues have work to do in the second leg of the Carabao Cup following a shock 1-0 defeat to Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium. They host Boro on January 23.

Josh Hazlewood struck twice in his first two overs before Mitchell Starc cleaned up England with the new ball to banish any thoughts of a famous upset

The Report by Brydon Coverdale06-Dec-20171:02

Swann: The batting monkey is growing on Root’s back

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsEngland arrived at Adelaide Oval on the fifth day knowing that hope springs eternal, or at least until Joe Root gets out. And so England’s hope sprung for only 17 deliveries. By the time the day was three overs old, Josh Hazlewood had dismissed Root and Chris Woakes, and within two hours Australia had won the Test and taken a 2-0 lead in the series. At least the England fans who had awoken in the small hours back home in anticipation of a tense final day could get some sleep.The day began with England 178 runs from victory with six wickets in hand. They added only 57 to their overnight total for the loss of all six of those wickets. That England even fought back into this match, that they entered the final day with any sort of hope whatsoever, was a surprise in itself. But if Australia officially won the Test on the fifth afternoon, in reality England had lost it on the first two days, when they sent Australia in and saw them make 442.It left England needing their all-time highest successful chase to win this match, and the final day began badly when Woakes edged behind off Hazlewood from the second ball – Snicko confirming his fate despite a review. In Hazlewood’s next over he claimed the key wicket of Root, who did not add a run to his overnight score of 67. On a surface that had been good for batting all match, a ball finally stayed a touch low and kissed the toe of Root’s bat on the way through to Tim Paine.Josh Hazlewood had Joe Root caught behind for 67•Getty ImagesFrom then on it was only a matter of time, and not even much of that. Moeen Ali was trapped lbw trying to sweep Nathan Lyon on 2, and the rest of the damage arrived with the new ball. Mitchell Starc curled the very first delivery with the new pink Kookaburra in to the pads of Craig Overton, who was lbw for 7; Stuart Broad edged behind off Starc for 8; and the result was confirmed when Jonny Bairstow chopped on against Starc for 36.Starc had finished with 5 for 88, but it was Hazlewood’s two early strikes that set the tone for the final session of this Test. After a day of England fight, normal service had resumed. And if the Gabbatoir is the fortress at which Australia like to open their summer, the Adelaide Oval day-night Test is becoming a strong occasion for them as well – the Australians have now won all three pink-ball Tests played in Adelaide.Now the teams fly to Perth with Australia just one win away from regaining the Ashes. And if Root wins the toss at the WACA, don’t expect him to do anything but bat.

West Ham United "may be one step closer" to sealing a first major summer signing as they eye a move for Man United defender Harry Maguire.

Who will West Ham sign?

It's been a window of nightmares for manager David Moyes and new technical director Tim Steidten, with reports even suggesting there is a rift between the pair as both men dither over transfer targets.

West Ham, as things stand, are still the only Premier League side not to have made a single summer signing – which will come as a big worry for supporters given the new season is soon upon us.

Moyes, speaking to Sky Sports at the end of last month, admitted that "several offers" have been made by West Ham and he is hoping that those moves advance sooner rather than later.

“Because of the shortness of the summer and being in Australia. it’s meant the time has been limited, but I’m sure we’ll get down to work and do what we have to do,” Moyes told Sky.

“The club have made several offers for players, we’re out on the market, we’re quite active, and hopefully some of them will come off in the future.”

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

The east Londoners recently walked away from a deal for Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse, despite the player's willingness to join, but they have in fact agreed personal terms with Ajax star Edson Alvarez.

Former West Ham star Declan Rice completed a club-record £105 million switch to Arsenal earlier this window and striker Gianluca Scamacca will follow him out the door after just one year at the London Stadium.

It is now up to Moyes, Steidten and the Hammers hierarchy to reinvest those funds into first-team signings. Club insider Claret & Hugh, sharing news on their links to Maguire, has a promising update.

Relaying what their "insiders" have told them, C&H claims the England international "may be one step closer" to joining West Ham this summer.

Moyes is apparently "desperate" to bring Maguire to the London Stadium, with United and the Irons exchanging medical information on Maguire's fitness history.

There is apparently "growing optimism" that an agreement can be struck for the centre-back, although his valuation is deemed "problematic" at this stage.

How good is Harry Maguire?

The 30-year-old came under fire for some of his performances under Erik ten Hag last campaign and made just 16 top-flight appearances.

Maguire's performances for England, though, could provide West Ham supporters with some optimism he could be a success for Moyes.

The former Hull City and Leicester star was a key player on England's run to the World Cup quarter-finals and has been a mainstay under Gareth Southgate for years.

"We're not in a world where we're cuddling. It's tough world professional football," Southgate told talkSPORT (via The Mail) when talking about Maguire's lack of game time.

"It doesn't baffle me as they have two top players in [Raphael] Varane and [Lisandro] Martinez there.

"He and John Stones has been a partnership that's been brilliant for us [England], but we've got young centre-backs coming up who are getting that experience and that will be the challenge going forward."

The back injury that Faf du Plessis suffered against Bangladesh may keep him out of the day-night encounter against ZImbabwe. Dean Elgar will likely captain the side in his absence

Firdose Moonda18-Dec-2017

South Africa’s Test captain Faf du Plessis is in doubt for the inaugural four-day Boxing Day day-night Test against Zimbabwe, as Cricket South Africa opt for a cautious approach to managing his return from injury.Du Plessis has not played any cricket since late October when he hurt his back during the second ODI against Bangladesh. He was initially prescribed six weeks’ rest. However, at the same time, du Plessis had surgery on a problematic shoulder. As a result, he played no part in the recently concluded Ram Slam and was not named in the CSA Invitation XI to play Zimbabwe in a warm-up match scheduled for Wednesday.Mohammed Moosajee, South Africa’s team manager who is also a medical doctor, told ESPNcricinfo last week that du Plessis was “on track”, but also emphasised that a late decision will be taken given the workload over the next three months.”If we reach next week and see that Faf would benefit from another week off, then we will give him that time,” Moosajee said. “We are not going to be foolish with his return, because there is a lot of cricket over the next few months.”After the Zimbabwe Test, South Africa host India for three-Tests starting on January 5, six ODIs and three T20s and then have a four-Test home series against Australia in March.Given that the South African management prefer their players to have some game time after returning from an injury and before representing the national side, it seems a better option for du Plessis to sit out the Test and perhaps even play in the upcoming domestic one-day tournament which starts on Wednesday. South Africa would have a ready-made batting replacement in AB de Villiers, who will play the warm-up match and has declared himself eager for a Test return. They will also likely turn to stand-in captain Dean Elgar, who led the side at Lord’s when du Plessis was on paternity leave.South Africa are only expected to name their Test squad after at least some of the warm-up match has been played and they have monitored the progress of some of their other players. Dale Steyn and Chris Morris are both due to play in the match and could make a return following significant time out of the game. Morne Morkel, who is coming back from a side strain, is not in the squad but recently played a three-day provincial match for Easterns, with positive reasons. He bowled 19.4 overs and took seven wickets for 43 runs.

The fast bowler became the first bowler in nearly 40 years – and only the second Australian ever – to claim two hat-tricks in the same first-class match

The Report by Daniel Brettig07-Nov-2017
ScorecardMitchell Starc became the first bowler in nearly 40 years – and the first in Australia – to claim two hat-tricks in the same first-class match when he blasted out Western Australia’s last three batsmen to claim outright points for New South Wales against Western Australia at Hurstville Oval.Having gone wicketless in the second innings up to that point, Starc had Jason Behrendorff caught behind and then bowled David Moody with the last two balls of his 15th over, then returned to have Jon Wells caught at slip by the captain Steven Smith with the first ball of his 16th. This hat-trick followed another on day three of the Sheffield Shield match, when he had dismissed Behrendorff, Moody and Simon Mackin.Starc’s feat was the first instance since Amin Lakhani managed to do the same for a Combined XI against the Indian tourists in a match at Multan in 1978. Overall only seven other bowlers have taken two hat-tricks in the same match, and only one Australian T.J. Matthews doing so against South Africa at Manchester in 1912. Matthews’ feat is also the only time two hat-tricks have been taken by a bowler in the same Test match.Smith said that Starc’s old-ball angle from around the wicket and reversing the ball away was fiendishly difficult to deal with for any batsman. He also complimented Hazlewood for his excellent rhythm throughout his first match back from injury.”They’ve found it pretty hard for a long period of time, the shape that he gets, the angle that he creates when going so wide,” Smith said. “It’s difficult for batters, let alone tail-enders. To take two hat-tricks in a game … most people are lucky to take one in their career. They’re not easy to come by.Getty Images

“I thought [Hazlewood] bowled like an absolute genius, he’s a superstar. Starcy, I think, has probably taken a little more time to get going and get some rhythm. But the back end of today showed why he’s world-class. Patty Cummins has had a couple of good games as well. They’re up and going and bowling really well.”Starc and Cummins will rest from the final round of Shield matches before the first Ashes Test while Hazlewood will play against Queensland in Brisbane.The sheer destructive power of Starc to obliterate an opposing tail, which had also been on show in the Blues’ opening defeat of South Australia under lights at Adelaide Oval last week, meant that NSW always fancied their chances of winning on the final afternoon of the Shield match, despite a sparkling opening stand of 179 between Shaun Marsh and Cameron Bancroft, who carried his bat for 76 in the first innings then followed up with 86 on the final day.Both Marsh and Bancroft are contenders for Test spots in Australia’s Ashes middle order, and their exits were followed by less fruitful results for Hilton Cartwright, who had played as an allrounder in the most recent Test played by Australia, against Bangladesh in Chittagong. Dismissal by Pat Cummins gave Cartwright a pair for the match in what was a case of horrid timing as selectors deliberate over their options for the Gabba Test.Mitchell Marsh, the WA captain, also fell cheaply to Josh Hazlewood for the second time in the game, and from there it was a question of whether the Warriors could survive long enough to stave off defeat. Nathan Lyon gained a couple of vital – and contentious breakthroughs – winning an lbw verdict against Ashton Turner then having D’Arcy Short caught in close off what the umpire adjudged to be an inside-edge onto the pad.Wells and Behrendorff took WA into the final hour of the match, before Starc arrived to seal the visitors’ fate and his own lofty place in hat-trick history. England have been warned.

Barcelona have reportedly paused talks to keep Joao Felix permanently after coaching staff raised 'doubts' over the Atletico Madrid loanee.

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Felix has suffered a dip in formBarcelona staff are not convincedMight not make a permanent transferWHAT HAPPENED?

Felix's summer move to Barcelona was expected to relaunch his career, since he closely aligns with the club's style of play. He started on a bright note and chipped in with important goals against Real Betis, Atletico and Valencia. However, the Portuguese playmaker's performance levels have dipped in recent weeks, which has sown seeds of doubt in the minds of the coaching staff.

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According to , the Blaugrana were preparing to advance negotiations with Atletico this month to retain Felix permanently. However, those discussions have stalled since there are internal doubts within the coaching staff about his performances. The Portugal international was drafted in after Ousmane Dembele's departure to Paris Saint-Germain, and was expected to thrive at Barcelona, but his future is now in doubt.

DID YOU KNOW?

Felix was denied a start in the last two league games and when he was thrown back into Xavi's lineup against Barbastro in the Copa del Rey, he was a shadow of his former self and contributed little in attack before being substituted. Barcelona remain aware that Atletico would demand a high transfer fee, reportedly around €80 million (£69.3m/$84.8m), for the player as they aim to recoup a portion of their initial £113m ($130m) investment. The reigning La Liga champions are willing to extend Felix's loan with a purchase option for the summer of 2025, but for a figure far lower than what Atletico are demanding.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Felix has already taken a huge pay cut whilecompleting an initial loan switchto Camp Nou in the summer. Hence, the salary might not be a point of contention for Barcelona, but his declining form will definitely defer the negotiations until the end of the campaign, with a return to Atletico now once again a possibility.