Chelsea's 'impossible' demands prevented Joao Felix's dream Benfica return as ex-coach Bruno Lage opens up on failed attempt to land Al-Nassr forward

The Portuguese midfielder had advanced talks with former manager Lage and even reportedly agreed to lower his wages to join the Portuguese club. However, even with the involvement of Felix's agent, Jorge Mendes, the two parties could not agree on the transfer fee. Benfica offered to buy 50 per cent of Felix's rights, but the London club, who showed interest in the deal at first, declined as the valuation of €30 million (£26m/$35m) could not be met. The English club further wanted to add clauses demanding commitment from Benfica to eventually buy the player completely.

Felix eventually moved to Riyad as he joined Al-Nassr in a €50m (£43m/$58m) plus add-ons deal, with Chelsea able to recoup close to their original investment.

The Portuguese manager was soon sacked by Benfica following a 3-2 home defeat against Qarabag in their Champions League play-offs. The defeat extended his losing streak to six games, prompting Benfica to part ways with the manager.

In an interview with A Bola, the 49-year-old coach was asked about the rumoured return of Felix. The ex-Swansea coach delved in the details, saying: "I started to believe Joao could come. He's arriving in Portugal, and I'm leaving on vacation. I was at the airport when I received his statement and called him. I spoke to him and told him that if he said that publicly, he was opening doors, and I would speak to the president to make his wishes come true, as it was everyone's wish."

He further explained: "But Chelsea, which paid what it did for Joao, was always intransigent about the fees to be paid, and it would be very difficult for Benfica, despite having done almost everything possible to bring back a homegrown player. Joao showed a huge desire to return to Benfica and also understood the entire team I was trying to build, where he could be a very important piece, but Chelsea's demands were impossible."

Felix burst onto the scene at Benfica with huge potential but has struggled to live up to expectations since his big move to Atletico Madrid in 2019. At Atletico, he made 131 appearances scoring 34 goals but was often inconsistent and misfitted in Diego Simeone’s rigid system. His spells at Chelsea and Barcelona offered chances for revival but were marked by ups and downs, limited starts, and injury problems. Returning to Chelsea, the Portuguese continued to face challenges, failing to consistently perform or secure a key role. Despite glimpses of talent, his career has been defined by unfulfilled promise and multiple moves without stable success.

Felix is experiencing a resurgence with Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League. After a difficult spell at Atletico, Chelsea and Barcelona, he is now flourishing alongside stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane. Felix has been delivering goals, assists and match-winning performances with seven goals and two assists to his tally in eight games. However, coach Jorge Jesus has urged the star to improve his penetration and attacking prowess to unlock his goal-scoring potential further.