Benfica ramping up efforts to sign Joao Felix from Chelsea | OneFootball

Benfica are preparing a last-ditch attempt to sign Chelsea forward Joao Felix, according to Record.

The Portuguese club is keen to reunite with Felix and are pulling out all the stops to make it happen.

Benfica have already agreed personal terms with the 25-year-old forward and are now edging closer to a deal with Chelsea to purchase 50% of his rights.

The initial offer from Benfica was reportedly around €20 million (£17.3m), but Chelsea are holding out for at least €40m (£35m) to sanction a sale.

Benfica president Rui Costa has decided to table an improved bid and is hoping to wrap things up in the coming days.

The current plan is to secure half of Felix’s rights for a fee in the region of €25m (£21.6m). It’s a massive investment for Benfica, but it shows how serious they are about getting a deal over the line.

Felix was part of Bruno Lage’s Benfica squad that won the Portuguese league title back in 2018/19.

The former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager is convinced he can bring out the best from Felix, and the player is enthused about the prospect of returning to his old stomping ground.

Felix has spoken about his desire to return to Benfica at some point in his career and could get his dream move this summer.

The Portugal international has failed to make a name for himself in the big leagues. Since his acrimonious exit from Atletico Madrid in 2023, he has struggled to find a permanent home.

He has spent time on loan at Chelsea and Barcelona before returning to West London on a permanent deal.

However, his second act at Stamford Bridge quickly unravelled as he struggled to nail down a regular starting spot in Enzo Maresca’s squad.

Felix has been forced to train with his fellow out-of-favour Chelsea stars, including Axel Disasi, Ben Chilwell, and Raheem Sterling.

However, he may not have to wait long to leave the club, with Benfica extending an olive branch.