Joao Felix was tipped for greatness after exploding onto the scene at Benfica as a teenager and earning a move to Atletico Madrid, but he has struggled to fulfil that potential despite – or perhaps because of – a series of moves through some of the giants of European football.
The Portugal international spent time on loan from Atletico to both Chelsea and Barcelona before returning to Stamford Bridge for a second spell in a big-money permanent move last summer.
But Felix was unable to nail down a place in Enzo Maresca’s side and was loaned out to AC Milan in January, only to struggle once again.
That has prompted former Milan and Chelsea great Marcel Desailly to express his sympathy for the 25 year old, who he believes should now be looking for yet another new home.
“Joao Felix is a player with great talent, but he has still not found his place. He’s been at Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, now Milan, without making any real impact,” Desailly damned with faint praise to Milan Presse.
“At this moment of his career, he needs a club with a clear philosophy that can build its project around him, put him at ease to express his potential that we still haven’t really seen. I would suggest Paris Saint-Germain.
“What Joao Felix lacks is not technique, but character. He is not a leader. At this moment, he is not what Milan need, because he lacks the mental strength to revive the Rossoneri – and vice versa.”
Desailly feels that is a particular issue at Milan in general this season as the club once again find themselves labouring in mid-table having previously looked to in the midst of a revival.
The club spent seven seasons outside the top four between 2013 and 2020 before climbing back up to runner-up in 2020/21 and then clinching the title the following season.
But after finishing fourth as defending champions and then second again last season, Milan are now back down to ninth place are were eliminated from the Champions League in the knockout play-off phase by Feyenoord.
Insult has only been added to injury by city rivals Inter sitting top of Serie A, and Desailly gave his take on the situation, telling Sky Sport Italia: “I don’t think Milan have less individual talent than Inter, but they lack chemistry.
“I don’t think it’s an individual problem, because Milan have many good players who unfortunately just don’t complete each other.
“You see Rafael Leao, Tammy Abraham, Christian Pulisic, Santiago Gimenez, Tijjani Reijnders. All have quality, but no real leader, nobody who stands out. This is what Milan need.”