da bet nacional： The Atletico Madrid loanee pushed for a move to Catalunya all summer long, and he couldn't have asked for a better start to life with the Blaugrana

da casino： The stats speak for themselves. Robert Lewandowski spent the first four games of Barcelona's campaign on an island. He was, by his standard, starved of chances, forced to move into the wrong areas. Lewandowski did not get the ball enough, so Lewandowski could not do Lewandowski things.

But last Sunday, that changed. Lewandowski, who was involved in three of Barca's five goals against Real Betis, had a partner in the final third, a buzzing creative presence that offered everything he needed. That player, once the second-most expensive teenager in the world, and subsequent Chelsea reject, was Joao Felix. He has wanted a Barcelona move for some time now, having admitted in July that Barca would be his "dream" destination were to get his wish and leave Atletico Madrid.

How, exactly, it would all work, though, was up for debate. Barcelona were a rather rigid side last year, and didn't seem to have room for a mercurial attacking talent, a player who has historically had limited interest in concepts of 'defending' and 'off-ball work.' On Sunday, though, Felix ran the show as the Blaugrana battered Betis, scoring once and orchestrating a rampant attack.

He was at it again on Tuesday, too, getting on the scoresheet twice and assisting Lewandowski yet again, pulling the strings in a performance against Antwerp that suggested Barca's Champions League blues might just fade this year.

These may be early days, and the opponents may have rolled over, but this "dream" transfer might just be a stroke of magic for both parties.

Getty ImagesMisery in Madrid

Felix's move from Benfica to Atletico Madrid in 2019 for a €126 million (£111m/$143m) fee made little sense. He was an imperfect fit, the kind of weightless but skilful attacking midfielder that Diego Simeone loved to beat rather than having in his own team. But Atleti were flush with cash, having been handed a ridiculous €120m (£107m/$134m) by Barcelona after they paid Antoine Griezmann's release clause in what, ironically, was also another immensely unsuccessful piece of business.

So, Felix was the panic buy, a team that looked at its lack of attacking talent and decided to buy the most attacking, most expensive option out there. It certainly helped that plenty of other clubs were after Felix — and the midfielder himself admitted that the Metropolitano offered "the best conditions to progress." But this was always something of a questionable signing.

So it proved to be. Felix scored 34 goals and added 16 assists across four years at Atletico — he was too good not to contribute — but never really became a crucial first-team player for Simeone. He was often benched for big games, and publicly disagreed with his manager. Simeone, meanwhile, used the media to question the player's commitment. Felix never really took the criticism well, and ended up languishing on the sidelines while inferior talents took to the pitch ahead of him. The detractors, it seemed, were right.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesLengthy saga after loan struggles

It was clear, in the 57th minute of Felix's Chelsea debut, that the forward was never really going to work. He might even have been cursed. The tackle that saw him sent off against Fulham was something of an unlucky one. Here was a player, in effect, trying too hard, throwing his legs at an opponent in frustration. He could have no complaints when David Coote gave him his marching orders.

And Felix never truly improved from there. He scored four goals, and turned in a series of promising performances — but never enough to rescue a languid Chelsea side. There was, for a few weeks, something of a vision that he might be able to fit into the Blues' messy attack, as he certainly had something of an understanding with Enzo Fernandez. And if nothing else, his silkiness in possession also made for a good watch, especially for a fanbase who needed something to get excited about.

But the Blues didn't have the funds, or, more importantly, desire to bring him in on a permanent deal — not for the €100m (£87m/$110m) fee Atletico demanded. It was assumed, at that point, that Felix would return to Atleti and begin another cycle of discontent in the Spanish capital.

What happened next, changed things. Felix gave an exclusive interview to journalist Fabrizio Romano, covering a range of topics. But the quote that stuck regarded his desire to join Barcelona: "Barcelona has always been my first choice and I’d love to join Barca as my next club."

Of course, it worked. Simeone, outraged, slammed Felix in an interview, while the player remained on the fringes of the Atleti squad throughout pre-season, and was stripped of his squad number. It quickly became clear that Barca were simply getting their finances in order to sign him on loan. The Blaugrana had to wait until the last hours of the window — such are their budget constraints — but they eventually got the deal over the line.

Getty ImagesAn interesting tactical fit

His arrival in Catalunya seemed an interesting — if imperfect — tactical fit. Xavi has assembled a strange Barca squad, unlike most successful Spanish sides of recent years. Last season, they were a tight, disciplined unit. They scored fewer goals than second-placed Real Madrid, and found the back of the net at the same rate as Atleti. Instead, they were immense at the other end, buoyed by Europe's most effective backline.

It made some sense to bring in a fluttering creative presence to counter that, but Felix's lack of bite seemed to be outside Barca's tactical fit. The logic was that he would fit into Barca's box midfield, fighting with Gavi, Pedri and Ilkay Gundogan for minutes — none of whom are easy to leave on the bench. Besides, all of them seemed better tactical fits.

Gavi is a buzzing midfielder, a pest who flies into tackles, nibbles at ankles, and is arguably at his best when he doesn't have the ball. Ilkay Gundogan is equal parts No.10 and No.8, a talented passer with a penchant for finding the killer ball and operating in tight spaces. Pedri, shoulder drops, croquetas and all, is the closest thing to Andres Iniesta that Barcelona have had in years.

Still, Felix can add a spark in the final third. It's something that Lewandowski was adamant that Barca have missed, as he criticised his team's system after their draw with Getafe on the opening weekend of the campaign, claiming that "sometimes we don't play with enough attacking players, I don't have support."

And he had a point. Lewandowski was caught on an island, with no real options. For all of their talents, the rest of Barcelona's midfielders aren't used to playing off a striker. And that's where Felix comes in. The Portuguese is at his best operating as a second striker, doing the creative stuff around a bigger, more direct forward. His problem, for some time now, has been that those systems don't really exist anymore. Europe's best increasingly play with two wide players and perhaps a No.10. Felix can certainly occupy those spaces, but doesn't thrive there.

It is to Xavi's credit, then, that Felix has found a role. On Sunday, he was rarely more than 15 yards away from Lewandowki, staying high up the pitch and linking up with him constantly. Their combination play was vital in the build-up to Barca's second goal, as Felix's delightful dummy will go down as a pseudo-assist for Lewandowski's fine finish.

It was much the same in the Champions League a few days later, Felix again assisting Lewndowski, and also ghosting into the left channel to link-up with the striker for a goal of his own. These, Xavi will hope, are merely glimpses of what could be an ideal partnership.

Getty ImagesHow long can this last?

And perhaps this is where Felix's career, at 23, finally takes off. Maybe this reinvented role in a unique system will allow the once-world-beater to realise his potential. A brief glimpse at Felix, in any fixture, for any side, makes his quality undeniable. There are very few players who are technically better than him. This might be the place where that skill, the stuff that looks good on highlight reels, translates into something beyond the realm of YouTube compilations.

There are complications, though. Felix looks like a perfect situational player, ideally used for La Liga contests against dogged defences. Betis was a perfect trial run. Granada, Las Palmas, even Atletico, will offer similar opportunities. But how he fares in Champions League football, and in bigger La Liga games, remains to be seen. These are the kind of fixtures that demand teams defend with 11, or risk getting exposed. Barca will have to be better defensively in those situations, and will perhaps be better suited turning to Gundogan or Pedri to round out their preferred system. Felix will have to live with that.

There also remains the looming financial issues in Catalunya. Barcelona have made some shrewd moves to slash their budget, and spent very little in the transfer market this summer. The usual slew of renegotiated contracts have also freed up some space. Still, they will not be able to meet Atletico's expected asking price for Felix. They weren't willing to put a buy option in his contract, and there have been no reports of an amicable transfer fee reportedly on the table for next summer. This is no longer a player whose value reaches €100m, but he is still an expensive commodity that Barcelona cannot afford.

And that, more broadly, is Xavi's real problem. Felix could be an impact player for the Blaugrana, the kind of option that will be useful to beat the bad teams, and provide a moment of inspiration against the good ones. For a side that has ambitions to defend its La Liga crown from last year, and push deep into the Champions League, he could be crucial.

But for all of that, there is an overwhelming feeling that he could only be a temporary fix. Barca's best bet is to enjoy him while they can.