Joao Felix hopes to return to Benfica after uncertain career

Joao Felix — once the world’s fourth most expensive transfer — has indicated his desire to return to his original club, Benfica, amid career uncertainty.

The Portuguese player first caught the football world’s attention at age 18 — he became the youngest scorer in the Lisbon Derby between Benfica and Sporting CP, and the youngest player to score a hat-trick in Europa League.

Brilliant achievements with Benfica led to Felix’s transfer to Atletico Madrid for 126 million euros in summer 2019. This figure placed him behind only Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, and Philippe Coutinho in the list of most expensive transfers ever.

However, the career journey of the player once dubbed as Cristiano Ronaldo’s successor in the Portuguese national team hasn’t gone as planned — he failed to meet the high expectations that accompanied his astronomical transfer fee.