The one big question over Joao Felix’s potential €50m move | OneFootball

Joao Felix’s move to Benfica is closing in fast, if you believe what you’re reading all over the internet this morning.

Joao Felix closes in on move back to his former club with interesting deal struck

Joao Felix celebrates first Chelsea goal after rejoining in the summer of 2024.

Reports from all over claim that the former wonderkid is getting closer and closer to the club where he came through as a youngster. Record, one of the biggest sports papers in Portugal, say that that the deal is “very close” to being confirmed.

They say that the Eagles are going to pay €25m for half of Felix’s rights. The “expectation” is that the deal will be finalised before Friday, making it possible for Felix to be present at Benfica’s Eusebio Cup preseason game against Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce.

Felix’s desire to return to where he had his best years are called “decisive” in the the whole process.

Questions over structure of 50% deal for Felix

But how can these reports of the Portuguese club buying just 50% of the attacker’s rights be true? While that kind of arrangement is common in South America and to an extent in Europe, it’s not permitted in the Premier League.

The only way this makes sense is if Benfica are buying 50% and some sort of investment agency is buying the other 50%. That’s perfectly possible, but the fact that these reports don’t go into any detail about it make us a little suspicious.

That deal would also value Felix at €50m – far more than we paid for him and far more than his market value. Benfica surely know they can get him for less than that, they are too shrewd to pay massively over the odds given there’s a real lack of other teams interested.

We need to get to the bottom of this.