Joao Felix has had one of the most interesting career paths in the history of world football. Currently on loan at AC Milan, the Portuguese forward reportedly wants to take the next step of that strange career at Turkish giants Galatasaray.
According to Turkish outlet Sporx, translated by Google Translate, Felix’s agent Jorge Mendes has told Chelsea brass that his client would like to play in Istanbul and that the two sides should come to an agreement. Considering Chelsea just paid a reported £42 million for Felix’s services last summer, a permanent move would likely be very expensive for the Turkish club.
The more likely situation is that Chelsea send Felix on loan once again but this time to Galatasaray if the two parties agree. On paper this seems like a shrewd move by Mendes and Felix as it would allow the forward to play in a less competitive league than the Premier League and potentially dominate.
Felix would also be in the shop window in European competition as Galatasary are a fixture in either the Champions or Europa League due to their domestic success. As of this week they are 9 points clear at the top of the Turkish Super Lig and should be back in the UCL next season.
If this move does go through and Felix gets his wish, it will continue one of the most unique careers in world football. After starting his career with Benfica B and then the senior team, he earned a big money move to Atletico Madrid in 2018 but failed to fully impress despite helping Atleti win the La Liga title.
Since 2023 he has been on loan at Chelsea, on loan at Barcelona, signed permanently with Chelsea, and is now on loan at AC Milan as previously mentioned. It is rare for a player to be loaned to so many of the high profile clubs in world football and even more so considering he is still just 25 years old.
The door is not fully closed on Felix’s Chelsea career and he could very well earn a place at Stamford Bridge next season. The issue is that he wants to be a consistent starter and he has not done enough to earn that right at Chelsea.
Felix, if he is in form, could walk into that Galatasaray lineup and would likely be the first name on their team sheet week in and week out. He and his agent will have to decide if they want to fight for a place at Chelsea or continue their nomadic journey across Europe until they can find a permanent home for Felix and his mercurial talents.