'I want to go home' – Joao Felix prioritises Benfica return
Benfica have expressed a desire to bring academy graduate Joao Felix back to Lisbon, and the forward wants to make the move.
Joao Felix is keen to return to former club Benfica after being made available for transfer by Chelsea, declaring: "I want to go home".
The attacker rose through the ranks at Benfica before joining Atletico Madrid in a €126m deal in 2019, but he has failed to deliver on his enormous promise.
He scored 20 goals in all competitions for Benfica in 2018-19 but has since failed to net more than 10 times in a single campaign for Atletico, Barcelona, Chelsea or AC Milan.
Joao Felix joined Chelsea for an initial fee of £42m (€52m) in 2024, having had a loan spell at Stamford Bridge in 2022-23.
However, he struggled for regular minutes under Enzo Maresca and was loaned to Milan for the second half of the 2024-25 campaign, netting twice in 15 Serie A appearances.
The 25-year-old is expected to leave Chelsea on a permanent basis in the coming weeks, and Benfica coach Bruno Lage revealed the club's interest in him last month.
While Joao Felix would likely need to take a substantial pay cut to return to Portugal, he would relish a reunion with Lage, who coached the forward in Benfica's youth setup.
Speaking to Correio da Manha, Joao Felix said: "I want to go home, my home is Benfica. I need to go home. Benfica is my favourite club.
"With Bruno Lage being the coach, who I know and who was important for my career, he adds to my decision and I would be very happy about returning to Benfica.
"That is probably where I am most inclined. I feel that I need to be at home and that is why Benfica is one of the ideas that I have in mind."
Benfica finished two points adrift of Primeira Liga champions Sporting CP last season, before topping a Club World Cup group that included Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.
They were then eliminated from the competition in the round of 16, losing 4-1 to Chelsea in extra time in Charlotte.
Joao Felix was an unused substitute as Portugal defeated Spain on penalties in the Nations League final last month, winning the competition for the second time.
