Joao Felix is stuck in limbo and it's Barcelona or bust for the unwanted Atletico Madrid man and Saudi Arabia could be his only option once Europe's window shuts
His underwhelming loan spell at Chelsea has put off the Premier League clubs, at least the ones playing in the Champions League which is where he believes he should be playing.
French big spenders PSG have preferred Ousmane Dembele, Marco Asensio and Kang-in Lee. And there has been no real interest from Italy.
It's Barca or bust in the next week and half - bust meaning a one-year loan at Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League.
His agent Jorge Mendes has plenty of influence at Barcelona. He is close to the club's new Director of Football Deco and is the agent of Joao Cancelo who Xavi is desperate to see sign before deadline day.
He also represents Ansu Fati who Barcelona are trying to sell to give them money to spend in what is left of the market.
The dream ending to the window for Mendes is that Fati is sold and Barcelona get Cancelo and Felix in - probably both on loans with an obligatory buy option in the case of the Manchester City full-back.
The problem is that there is no real interest in Fati and he does not want to leave. If he stays Barcelona might still be able to bring in Cancelo but Felix becomes impossible.
Xavi will be happy either way. He has been cold on the Joao Felix idea since it was first floated. It seems he is not big fan of Fati but fancies Felix even less.
The window in Saudi Arabia remains open 20 days beyond the end of the European window so that give Felix a safety net if he can't get the European move he craves.
It's an awkward limbo for one so young and so talented.
It was in the summer of 2019 when Mendes persuaded Atletico Madrid to smash their transfer record and make the then 19-year-old the fourth most expensive player in history.