How Joao Felix grew to become soccer’s £171MILLION misfit: Berated by his personal team-mates in newest depressing mortgage spell, undesirable by Chelsea after shock return and struggles in Spain

Joao Felix was as soon as touted as soccer’s largest prospect. After bursting onto the scene in Portugal, it wasn’t lengthy earlier than comparisons along with his fellow countryman Cristiano Ronaldo have been made.

Atletico Madrid actually believed the hype, forking out £114m to signal Felix from Benfica in 2019 – the identical yr he gained the Golden Boy award – making him the costliest teenager ever within the course of.

However, a little bit beneath six years later, Felix’s profession solely seems to be going a method after hitting a brand new low on Sunday.

The 25-year-old ahead – who has price golf equipment £171m in switch charges – was concerned in a heated alternate with England’s Kyle Walker as AC Milan emerged from the tunnel for the second half of their Serie A conflict with Napoli.

Milan have been 2-0 down on the time, and Walker pulled no punches as he informed Felix: ‘Go the ball, we aren’t Messi!’

The brutal recommendation appeared to fall on deaf ears as Felix was hauled off simply 10 minutes later, with Milan occurring to lose 2-1 in Naples.

That incident sums up Felix’s depressing spell in Milan since he joined the Italian giants on mortgage from Chelsea in February.

Felix scored on his Milan debut within the Coppa Italia, however has not discovered the online once more. 

It didn’t take lengthy for the Italian media to activate him, as he was singled out for criticism after a 2-1 defeat by Bologna in late February.

After giving him a 4.5 match ranking, Corriere della Serra wrote on Felix’s efficiency: ‘The worst on the sector. You’ll be able to’t see him, you may’t hear him. By no means a play, even his personal gamers keep away from him.’

Italian journalist Fabio Ravezzani added on X: ‘Every thing goes mistaken at Milan. Joao Felix is ​​as good-looking as he’s ineffective, Malick Thiaw isn’t any higher than and taking off Rafael Leao, until he’s injured, is silly.’

It had been hoped that Felix’s short-term swap to Milan – which included a £5m mortgage charge – might get his profession again on observe after underwhelming at Chelsea.

The Blues clearly noticed potential once they first signed Felix in a £9m mortgage deal again in January 2023.

However he was despatched off on his debut in opposition to Fulham, and completed the marketing campaign with 4 targets in 20 appearances. It was not sufficient to earn him a everlasting transfer.

But Chelsea returned for Felix the next yr after the Portuguese star had proven some promising indicators throughout a mortgage spell at Barcelona and paid £43m to convey him to Stamford Bridge on a six-year deal.

It appeared a wierd transfer on Chelsea’s half to tie down Felix right down to such a long-term contract, and fewer than six months later he was despatched on his strategy to Milan after failing to interrupt into Enzo Maresca’s beginning XI persistently.

The Italian boss insisted Felix was simply unfortunate to search out himself behind Cole Palmer within the pecking order, however Chelsea didn’t attempt notably arduous to maintain him at the beginning of the yr. 

Certainly, failing to persuade managers has turn out to be a pattern for Felix through the years.

When Atletico splashed the money to take him to Spain in 2019, it was believed that he might be the participant so as to add stardust to a staff that already had grit and work ethic in abundance beneath Diego Simeone.

However issues simply by no means clicked for Felix at Atletico. He by no means managed to hit double figures in his 4 seasons in LaLiga, and Simeone raised considerations concerning the rising star again in 2020.

‘In addition to expertise it’s worthwhile to have dedication,’ Simeone defined when speaking about Felix.

‘When a participant realises why he’s enjoying for Atletico then every part comes collectively.’

Felix would keep at Atletico for an additional three years after these Simeone remarks, however, in hindsight, that was arguably the start of the top of their relationship.

Finally, Simeone misplaced persistence with Felix and he was shipped out to Chelsea, earlier than briefly returning to Spain to play for Barcelona, then again to west London and eventually on to Milan.

Wherever he has gone, Felix has proved to be a misfit and he’s as soon as once more caught in limbo heading into the summer time.

Milan should not anticipated to increase his keep past the top of the season, and it’s tough to see him getting again into Maresca’s Chelsea staff.

A report from Turkish outlet Sport final week claimed his agent, Jorge Mendes, has been in touch with Galatasaray over a possible switch.

It’s understood that Felix could be eager on the transfer, and that Chelsea could be unlikely to face in his method.

However the Blues could be anticipated to need near the £43m they paid for him given Felix nonetheless has 5 years left on his contract, whereas he additionally earns near £7m-a-year in wages. May Galatasaray meet these calls for?

It has been some fall from grace for Felix, who was seen as the apparent inheritor to Ronaldo’s throne as Portugal’s largest famous person when he broke by at Benfica.

As an alternative, he has lurched from one disastrous transfer to a different, costing golf equipment a fortune alongside the way in which.

His profession is in peril of fully unravelling, and Felix is working out of probabilities to show he can ever turn out to be the world-class participant he appeared destined to be.