Benfica want to sign Joao Felix on loan from Chelsea for Club World Cup | OneFootball

Chelsea forward Joao Felix is only halfway through his loan spell at AC Milan, but he’s already being linked with another temporary switch in the summer.

According to Record, Benfica are keen on reuniting with the versatile forward ahead of this summer’s Club World Cup tournament.

The Portuguese powerhouse have reportedly opened talks to re-sign Felix from Chelsea in a bid to bolster their squad for the tournament.

The 25-year-old has struggled to find a permanent home over the past few years, bouncing between loan spells with Barcelona, Chelsea and Milan.

The Blues took the punt on the dazzling forward after forking out £45 million to lure him away from Atletico Madrid, where he had fallen out of favour.

He made a fantastic start to life at Chelsea, scoring on his debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers, but has since fallen off the wagon, which has been a recurring theme for the Portuguese forward.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is a fan of Felix. However, with Cole Palmer proving indispensable, Maresca sanctioned Felix’s loan switch to Milan in January.

As is customary with Felix, he scored on his Milan debut, but his influence has waned over the past few months, which has cost him a place in the starting line-up.

Despite the change of scenery, Felix can only boast of a goal and an assist in 13 games for Milan across all competitions.

His decline has forced Milan to reconsider making his loan switch permanent, but he could be offered yet another lifeline with Benfica now looking to take him off Chelsea’s hands.

Benfica has already contacted Felix’s camp, and head coach Bruno Lage is personally involved in efforts to persuade the player.

Lage believes Felix could be a shrewd addition ahead of the Club World Cup, and a return to his boyhood club could be what he needs to revive his once-promising career.