Joao Felix will start for AC Milan against Bologna tonight, a report claims, and it could be his last before he leaves AC Milan.
Calciomercato.com speak of it being ‘the last chance to change a destiny already written’ for Joao Felix. With Rafael Leao suspended and Christian Pulisic to be rested, Samuel Chukwueze and the Portuguese will return to the starting line-up behind the striker Santiago Gimenez.
Having arrived on loan from Chelsea, Felix will return to Stamford Bridge when his agreement with the Rossoneri expires on June 30. His adventure at Milan has been disappointing, despite a great start with the goal against Roma in the Coppa Italia.
In 15 games, the Portuguese has added only one assist to that goal and many anonymous or disappointing performances. Not even Conceicao’s trust has made him change direction and he lost his starting spot.
In the general uncertainty that still reigns at Milan – still looking for a sporting director and a new coach – one of the few certainties at present is that they will not pick up the phone to Chelsea to try keep Joao.
Joao Felix has multiple options
However, he continues to have admirers all over the world. Two clubs have already knocked on the door: Flamengo tried and were rejected, while Benfica sought a return. Both the Brazilians and the Portuguese were aiming to have him for the Club World Cup, starting on June 14.
It will be up to his super agent Jorge Mendes to find a new home for the 25-year-old, who in his heart has not yet closed the doors to a stay at Milan. In a recent interview he spoke enthusiastically about the club, the city and the atmosphere at Milanello.
“Before the offer arrived, I watched Milan games and thought I would have liked to play in that shirt. When the offer came, everything became very easy: I told my agent to do everything possible to get the deal done and it went well,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The negotiations went well, the experience less so. There will be a new test with Bologna which however could change very little and will perhaps only have the feeling of a farewell to San Siro and the Milan fans. In a month or so the Portuguese is ready to return to Chelsea, then he will decide.
If we were to sell Thiaw, Emerson, Terracianno, Chukwueze and all the loaned out players, -Alexis…
Should we actually keep Felix on loan and RLC for extra season to fund actual transfers like Ricci, Comuzzo, Coppola?
The problem is, with his output, do you even want to keep him?
He’s got ability, no doubt, but if it doesn’t translate to the Italian game, it doesn’t help anyone, not himself nor the Club.
Don’t forget Milan gave away Patrick Vieira as a talent after just 9 appearances for us, he went on to thrive in the EPL with Arsenal, but some players just don’t mesh well with Italian football.
Felix could very well be one of these cases.
Gimenez
Leao-Pulisic
Theo-Tiji-Ricci-Jimenez/Alexis
Pavlovic-Gabbia-Comuzzo
Maignan
I just really want to see this team under Sergio next season
Ricci, Comuzzo and Coppolla? I don’t think any these players are significantly better than what we have.
What we must realise and the club as well. It is of utmost importance to give foreign players TIME. If you decide to buy a foreign player on loan just for six months and expect him to perform miracles in a league he doesn’t know and in a club that is in shambles?
The problem is that Joao Felix has bounced around at several top clubs already and still nobody finds him good enough to keep around. So, it isn’t just Milan that he has been underwhelming. He really shined only when he was in his native Portugal, a less competitive league. And that may be his true level and probably where Chelsea will sell him back to.
It’s kind of like Xherdan Shaqiri, who shined in a couple of World Cup matches for Switzerland, never really caught on with Liverpool, bounced around, and then finally returned to the Swiss league again and has been tearing up the league, scoring right and left. It’s a lesser league, and the other teams just don’t have the players to stop him.