Chelsea flop close to agreeing £21.6m exit from Stamford Bridge
One of Chelsea’s unwanted talents is on the verge of leaving the club for good.
Having only joined Chelsea last summer - as one of Enzo Maresca’s first signings - he struggled to find form in the Premier League, and was shipped out on loan for the second half of the season.
Joao Felix arrived from Atletico Madrid for a fee of £42m, with midfielder Conor Gallagher moving in the opposite direction for £35m. Felix, 25, scored seven goals for Chelsea in that time, finding the net just once in the Premier League.
In January, he was sent to AC Milan on loan, where he only scored three goals in 21 games. Felix has since returned to Chelsea, but is surplus to requirements - especially since the arrival of striker Liam Delap, who moved from Ipswich Town.
Fresh reports have since suggested that a return to his native Portugal could be on the cards. According to Mais Futebol, one of his former clubs are keen to reacquire his services.
Benfica has made ‘significant progress’ in negotiations for the forward, and are confident of reaching an agreement with both the player and club. Felix rose through the academy ranks of the Portuguese club for three years, before making his full senior debut in 2018.
The catch is that Benfica will pay a maximum of £21.6m for their former star - a little over half what Chelsea paid for him 12 months ago.
Overall, Felix scored 15 goals in 26 games for Benfica, before moving to Atletico Madrid the following year.