Joao Felix’s future is becoming one of the biggest stories in Saudi Arabia, and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr appear to hold the key. The Portuguese forward has a contract that expires in 2027 and has been linked with a move to Barcelona.
According to Saudi insider Nawaf Al-Tamimi, Felix will not enter the free agency this January, nor at any other point this season, and no club will be able to negotiate with him.
The reason lies in the type of deal he has: contracts that include a mandatory automatic extension are not considered to be in the free period, unless the player receives an official notice from his club saying it wants to cancel the extension option. That would mean Barcelona, or any other team, could not sign him to a pre-contract during the winter window.
The extension clause is at the center of the story. Al Nassr’s board, chaired by Ahmed Al-Sultan, wants to begin the legal procedures to activate the unilateral option that would tie Felix to the club until the summer of 2029. The move would reportedly block his agent, Jorge Mendes, from using the end of the mandatory period of his contract in 2027 to take him to Barcelona on a free transfer or for a nominal fee.
For now, nothing is official: Al Nassr have not announced anything about Felix’s contract, and there is no confirmation that the player wants to stay, with previous reports suggesting that his camp is looking to return to Europe. What does seem clear is that, if these reports are right, the decision about his future rests with the Saudi club.
Felix is delivering again
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Part of the reason why Al Nassr are determined to keep Felix is that he is in the form of his life. The Portuguese forward has already contributed to 18 goals in 14 matches this season.
In the Saudi Pro League he has three goals and eight assists in 10 games, while in the AFC Champions League he has two goals and two assists in three appearances, having also scored twice and added an assist in his only King’s Cup match.
That production comes after an outstanding first season with the club. In 2025-26, Felix scored 26 goals in 47 matches across all competitions and helped Al Nassr win the Saudi Pro League title, the first official trophy of Cristiano Ronaldo’s time with the club. His performance earned him the Saudi Pro League Player of the Season award, ahead of finalists like Ronaldo himself.
With a title, an individual award and a strong start to the new campaign, Felix has become one of the most valuable players in the Saudi Pro League, and that explains why Al Nassr are not willing to let go of him easily.
