The summer transfer market is starting to take shape and, as every year, there are names that appear on every list. One of them is João Félix. An eternal promise who hasn't managed to establish himself at any of the major clubs he's played for.
Not at Chelsea, not at Atlético, not at Milan. He also didn't manage to shine consistently at FC Barcelona, despite the flashes of quality he showed in some matches.
Jorge Mendes, his trusted agent and master of football chess, has been moving his client around half of Europe for weeks.
From England to Arabia, including Barça, where he offered him again to Deco, although the Barça door now seems definitively closed. João Félix's story with Barça was short, intense, and marked by inconsistency.
Not Barça, not Premier: the destination is closer to home
With Chelsea ruled out —the club that owns his rights— and no firm offers from England, João Félix's future has taken an unexpected turn. Although his name has been linked to LaLiga clubs and even a return to Barça, everything indicates that he'll return home, but not to Camp Nou.
Benfica has made a move and seized the opportunity. The Lisbon club, which saw João Félix's footballing birth, has reached a preliminary agreement for his return. The deal will be finalized in the coming days and will be permanent: there is no loan, but a transfer with terms that are manageable for the Portuguese club.
In fact, Benfica plans to allocate part of the money it receives from Real Madrid for Álvaro Carreras to bring back its former star.
He returns, yes... but not to the place many imagined
For days, there was speculation about a possible return of João Félix to Barça, taking advantage of the good relationship between Laporta and Mendes. However, Flick doesn't have him in his plans. His signing would represent an expense that the club can't afford, either financially or in footballing terms.
Barça wants more committed, more solid profiles. João Félix, despite his quality, doesn't offer guarantees.
The return is imminent, yes, but it's not the one many imagined. João Félix will return to the place where it all began. Where he was happy, where he excelled without the pressure of the big spotlights.
At Benfica, they hope that reuniting with his roots will also mean reuniting with his best version.