Chelsea handed £42m transfer blow as Dario Essugo decision speaks volumes

Benfica president Rui Costa has essentially ruled out bringing Joao Felix back to the club despite being keen on re-signing the Chelsea attacker.

Felix was re-signed by the Blues last summer for around £42million from Atletico Madrid and spent the first half of the season at Stamford Bridge. The 25-year-old made 20 appearances under Enzo Maresca in all competitions, where he scored seven goals. The majority of those, though, came in the Conference League, with just one in the Premier League.

The Portugal international then chose to move to AC Milan on loan in the mid-season transfer window as he looked for regular football elsewhere. Felix then featured 21 times for the Rossoneri during his loan spell but failed to endear himself and spent a lot of time on the bench. Milan are understood to not be interested in signing Felix on a permanent deal.

Benfica, though, have explored a deal to bring Felix back to the Estadio da Luz. Felix came through the academy system at the Portuguese club after signing from Porto in 2015 and has been linked with a sensational return. However, Costa, the president of Benfica, has admitted the financial side of any deal is preventing the club from making move.

“Every year I get asked this question. If we could bring back players from our academy, who have the quality and prominence that a player like Joao has, we would all like that, all Benfica fans would like that,” Costa said on the Chelsea attacker.

“We have to understand two things. The players are not free, they have very high contracts with the clubs and very high transfer fees.

“The amounts involved, both in transfers and salaries, are very high and we have to respect that part. Benfica wants all the great players. Joao is an excellent player.

“It is a long way from there until we bring Joao back, I can’t say much more than that. There is no way I can come close to thinking that it is possible.

“For signings, we will have our targets referenced. We want to build a Benfica-style team, but the focus is the Club World Cup, which has to be a great source of pride.”

New signing Dario Essugo has taken the No.14 shirt at Chelsea – previously worn by Felix – and that perhaps tells us more about the Portuguese’s future at Stamford Bridge. One of the main problems for Felix during his second spell with the Blues was the person he had in front of him. A certain Cole Palmer.

Maresca, speaking about Felix in January, explained how Palmer was preventing the attacker from playing more football. “The only thing I’ve said since the start of the season is that it is difficult to play him with so many attacking players.

“In my idea it means that if Joao plays, it means Cole doesn’t play. Or, if Joao plays he has to play with Cole together, but it depends on the game. For me it’s quite easy, we have three players but they are more or less similar; Cole, Joao and Christopher Nkunku.

“Joao played some games, Christopher also played and they both started against Ipswich and Southampton they played, Leicester they played. Some games they can both play together, but not every game because every game is a bit different.”