Blow for Barça's footballer Fermín. One of his best friends is saying farewell to Barça. His future is with Atlético de Madrid.
Fermín knew he was on the list of "interesting players" from the club's technical department led by Deco. He had nurtured hopes of having him at Barça as a teammate and friend.
Barça can't compete with Atlético
However, the club's financial situation is not in a position to celebrate. The priority now is to register the players who already belong to the team, and acquisitions are only considered in exceptional cases. This is the case with Marcus Rashford, a unique opportunity offered by the market.
Fermín has already come to terms with the fact that he won't play with him at Barça. During the last Paris Olympic Games, they formed a close friendship. Together, they led the Spanish Olympic team that won gold in Paris.
Alex Baena is not just a friend of Fermín. He has a lot of affinity with a good part of the blaugrana team: Pedri, Gavi, Balde, Cubarsí, Ferran Torres, Eric García... But destiny takes him to Atlético de Madrid under Cholo Simeone.
He was the recipient of Valverde's punch
He is only 23 years old and is already one of the great realities of Spanish football. He became famous for the punch he received from Fede Valverde in Bernabéu parking lot. But he is more than just a punch receiver.
The proof is that Atlético has reached an agreement with Villarreal to pay the 60 million euros ($63.6 million) release clause. It guarantees him a six-year contract.
Barça has arrived late, and the deal is already done. Baena will land at the Metropolitano as the natural heir to Griezmann, whose future seems oriented toward the North American MLS.
Atlético will even try to take him to the Club World Cup at the end of the season. They would take advantage of the transfer window that FIFA opens for this tournament.
Simeone has gotten his way. When he signed Sorloth this summer, Atlético secured a preferential option on Baena. They have made it count by getting ahead of other competitors.