It has been a frustrating last few years for João Felix despite his enormous potential. A player who in his early age had clubs fighting for his signature is now being openly rejected.
João Felix started his career as one of the highly sought-after young football stars at Benfica, and he was linked with a move to top European clubs before he eventually joined Atletico Madrid.
The Portuguese star is now unwanted by his parent club, Chelsea, and his loan club, AC Milan in yet another disappointing end to an interesting soap opera, which has become a trademark for Felix.
In January, João Felix ditched Stamford Bridge for San Siro to team up with AC Milan after spending six months in his second spell as a Chelsea player.
He struggled to nail down a regular playing shirt with occasional starts coming in the less fancied Europa Conference League.
In the Premier League, he found it difficult to dislodge Cole Palmer, and when he gets an opportunity it is often a bit-part role in the closing moments of matches.
Understandably, He was frustrated by the lack of regular playing time, and he opted to join AC Milan in the January transfer window, hoping for a change of fortunes.
Unfortunately, The story has been the same for João Felix, who can’t seem to find a stable club to call his home after gallivanting from Atletico Madrid to Barcelona, Chelsea, and AC Milan yet no happiness in sight.
In the last few weeks, there have been reports that AC Milan are not interested in keeping him beyond his loan deal at the end of the season following his poor performances. He scored on his debut for the club but he has failed to find the back of the net in his last 10 matches.
On Sunday, João Felix was a subject of criticism from teammate Kyle Walker, who was filmed telling him to “Just pass the ball. we are not Messi. No one here is Messi” to sum up his selfish showing against Napoli.
The Portuguese star struggled badly in the encounter before he was hooked off 10 minutes into the second half.
He did not attempt a single dribble in the 55 minutes he spent on the pitch, with play-by-play describing his performance as timid. “Joao, on a couple of occasions, maybe held onto the ball too long, but in general, he limited himself to passes, horizontal plays. If anything, the criticism that can be directed at him is the opposite: too timid.”
There is a reason why Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, and Chelsea didn’t go out of their way to keep him. At Atletico Madrid, many complained about Diego Simeone’s style of play, but he currently has no excuse for his inconsistency performances at Barcelona, and now AC Milan.
According to reports, Chelsea are looking out for buyers to take him off their books in a move that questions the club’s decision to sign him in the first place.
Some section of Chelsea fans protested his signing in the summer, saying the club does not need him with the majority of the fans highlighting his lack of effort and inconsistency.
Let’s look at Two Ways João Felix Can Rediscover His Potential
Change of Attitude
You can’t question João Felix’s talent, on his day, he can grab a game by the scruff of the neck when he is in the mood but when he is not, you will almost mistake him for a passenger on the pitch.
At the age of 25, Felix is no longer a prodigy, but he struggles to show hunger and commitment to the cause due to his poor attitude – all the big clubs can’t be wrong.
He needs to take a critical look at himself, and adjust his attitude because it is not a matter of talent but the right mindset to work hard and grab every opportunity handed to him. Not every player can boast of playing for Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, and AC Milan and yet he couldn’t find a home in any of these clubs.
If he is to fulfill his enormous potential there is a need for retrospection or else he will end up as one of the also-ran with immense opportunity but yet nothing to show for it. You can hardly get two consecutive impressive performances from him, he is that bad.
Diego Simeone had this to say about Felix while he was managing him at Atletico Madrid.
He said: “As well as talent, you need to have commitment. When a player realises why he is playing for Atletico, only then everything comes together.”
The importance of commitment cannot be overstated especially when you don’t have the genius of Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo as Kyle Walker pointed out in that video.
A Pressure Free Environment Where He Is The Star Boy
If he is serious about his career, he should reject any move to any big club for now, and find a club with a less pressured environment where the team can be built around him.
A move to a small club, where there is really no pressure, and where he can be handed the opportunity to take up the baton of influence would help him rediscover his spark and with regular playing time and a manager that can wrap his arm around him always, encouraging him with 100 percent trust in him.
Some players thrive in an environment where there is no spotlight pressure, pressure to win trophies, and pressure to deliver top class performances on every matchday.
Jorge Mendez, who has been representing Felix since the beginning of his career, has started offering him to clubs around Europe with Galatarsaray the latest to be rumoured to show interest.
According to reports, The Turkish champions are weighing up the option of signing Felix on loan in the summer as the future of the likes of Victor Osimhen, Mauro Icardi, and Alvaro Morata hang in the air.
Chelsea, however, want a permanent deal in other to recoup the majority of the £42 million they paid for him in the summer.
