AC Milan bids farewell to Félix: special return to his old home awaits

João Félix has officially left AC Milan after a disappointing spell that fell far short of the lofty expectations that once surrounded him.

With just three goals and one assist in twenty-six appearances, his six-month stay in Italy ended without much impact, and the club opted not to pursue a permanent deal. The Portuguese forward now returns to Chelsea, a club that, like many others, continues to search for a clear direction regarding his future. Once seen as one of Europe’s brightest prospects, Félix has become a player caught between potential and frustration.

The summer of 2024 is shaping up to be yet another period of speculation around Félix’s next move, and the rumours are already intensifying in Portugal. Many believe that a return home to Benfica may finally be on the cards. It’s not just wishful thinking. According to several Portuguese sources, including Récord, the Lisbon club has made João Félix one of its top priorities for the current transfer window. The idea of bringing back the player they developed and launched onto the world stage has electrified fans and is reportedly being seriously considered by the club’s hierarchy.

This speculation comes at a symbolic moment: Benfica are set to face Chelsea Félix’s current club in the Club World Cup. The match between the player’s roots and his present situation adds an emotional layer to the ongoing transfer rumours. It was at Estádio da Luz that João Félix first burst onto the scene during the 2018–2019 season, under the management of Bruno Lage. At just nineteen years old, he displayed rare maturity, creative vision, and technical brilliance. His goals, assists, and footballing intelligence quickly caught the attention of the footballing world, and in the summer of 2019, he became one of the most expensive transfers in history with a €126 million move to Atlético Madrid.

But Félix’s time in Madrid never lived up to the billing. Under Diego Simeone’s rigid and defensively structured system, the Portuguese forward struggled to find his rhythm. While moments of brilliance emerged now and then, he often looked like a player out of place a free spirit forced into a cage. Injuries, tactical incompatibility, and inconsistent form led to a decline in both confidence and minutes on the pitch. That decline has followed him across Europe in a series of high-profile, short-lived loans: first to Chelsea in early 2023, where he showed flashes but failed to establish himself, then to Barcelona, where he started well but faded, and most recently to Milan, where expectations were again unmet.

As Félix returns to Chelsea, his future remains uncertain. The London club is reportedly not keen on reintegrating him into their long-term plans, especially given their abundance of attacking talent and shifting managerial strategies. This opens the door for Benfica, a club that knows him intimately not just as a player, but as one of their own. For the fans, the prospect of seeing Félix back in red and white is about more than nostalgia. It’s about redemption. It’s about giving a prodigal son a place to rebuild, reconnect, and reignite the career that once burned so brightly.

Bruno Lage, now back at Benfica and preparing his side for the Club World Cup match against Chelsea, was asked about the rumours of Félix’s return during a pre-match press conference. “He was a special player for Benfica and a special player for me personally,” Lage said, clearly still holding admiration for the forward. “But right now, we need to focus on Chelsea, not on Félix.” It was a diplomatic answer, but one that did little to dampen speculation.

At twenty-five years old, João Félix is no longer the teenage phenomenon who dazzled Europe. But he is not a lost cause. Many players have found their way again at that age especially when given the right environment and the trust to rediscover their identity. Benfica could be that place. The club has the infrastructure, the style of play, and the emotional connection to give him something he hasn’t had in years: a true home.

His journey from Lisbon to Madrid, to London, to Barcelona, to Milan has been one of extraordinary highs and painful lows. A return to Benfica might not just be a romantic story; it might be the smartest footballing decision he could make. For Félix, this summer is not just another crossroads it could be the most important decision of his career.