The summer transfer market is moving forward steadily, and João Félix is once again at the center of one of the most recurring transfer sagas. At 25 years old, the Portuguese footballer still hasn't found a stable destination in his chaotic professional career. What he has found, however, is his new team, and a total agreement has already been reached.
His time at Milan left more shadows than highlights, with a performance well below what was desired. Despite arriving as a star signing from Chelsea, where he still belongs, he didn't achieve either continuity or impact. After months of silence, his agent has taken full control of the situation.
Jorge Mendes has been making moves for weeks with a clear strategy: to relocate his player to a more favorable environment. The super-agent has offered him across half of Europe, knocking on doors in LaLiga, Premier League, Bundesliga, and even Saudi Arabia. Among them, one option was strongly rumored from Barcelona.
Barça, ruled out from Flick's first analysis
For a few days, there was speculation about a possible return to Camp Nou, where he showed some promising flashes last season. Jorge Mendes sounded out the Catalan club, appealing to his good relationship with Laporta and Deco. However, Hansi Flick's arrival immediately closed that door.
The German coach was very clear: he's not in his plans, neither tactically nor financially. Barça is prioritizing more solid, committed, and physically reliable profiles for its new project. João Félix, with his historic inconsistency, doesn't fit the profile the technical management is seeking.
Since then, the footballer has been ruled out internally in all key sports planning meetings. It also doesn't help that the club is going through a delicate moment in terms of salaries. João Félix's salary and the conditions imposed by Chelsea are absolutely unaffordable.
Ruled out by Chelsea, ignored in the Premier League, and without a place at Barça
With England closed and Barcelona out of the picture, the range of real options was rapidly shrinking. His name was even mentioned in Saudi Arabia, although there were no concrete developments. With each passing week, the feeling became more evident: something was brewing off the radar.
In the footballer's circle, people were already openly talking about a drastic solution to break the deadlock. Mendes himself sped up negotiations with a very specific goal: to get him out of Chelsea for good. For the first time in a long while, all parties seemed aligned to solve the situation.
The London club was willing to accept a permanent exit and forget about new loans. João Félix also wanted stability, playing time, and to regain confidence. All that was missing was a club willing to welcome him with open arms... and he has found it.
The prodigal son returns: farewell to the spotlight, back to the origin
Despite rumors linking him to several of Europe's giants, his future is much closer to home. His new team won't play in the Champions League or pay exorbitant salaries, but it offers him something more valuable. It offers him the chance to return to where it all began: where he excelled for the first time.
João Félix will play for Benfica next season. The Lisbon club already has a deal in place with Chelsea for his permanent transfer. The operation will be around €15 million (15 millones) plus add-ons, manageable for a club that developed him and is now bringing him back as a personal bet.
In Lisbon, people are hoping to see the best version of João Félix without the pressure of superstars or the media noise of the big clubs. His return is now official and will be announced in the coming days with a special presentation event. What seemed like another disappointment is turning into a new beginning.