The Portuguese Primera Liga title race is looking very intriguing as another exciting season of Portuguese football draws to a close. With only a solitary point separating both Portuguese giants FC Porto and Benfica with Porto leading the way with 3 games to go, the close season will be exciting to watch especially with the talents and hot prospects on show for both clubs, but there is a particular player who is taking all the headlines and has become a revelation since his inclusion from the academy, taking the whole world by storm with his exuberant and stylish performances… step forward Benfica’s teenage maestro Joao Felix.
On numerous occasions this season has the Portuguese starlets had scouts drooling over his performances. Eyes are all drawn to Benfica’s no.79 – a small 19-year-old, with braces on his teeth and fuzzy haircut combed out to the left. As soon as he sets his foot on the ball, you would know why clubs such as Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Bayern Munich are all scouring for his signature.
Although, some of those top clubs may be put off by his soaring release clause of a deal worth anything around the figure of £105m. However, its a figure that will be an investment into the future of not only the player but the club because this boy is something special. Despite being just 19, he has managed to restore the joy back into the Estadio da Luz and place Benfica amongst the top the Primera Liga once again.
There’s something special about Joao Felix – and his fans clearly know it.
Deep down, they know they will have to savour him while they can. Joao Felix won’t be around to wet the apetites of the Benfica faithful, lighting up the whole stadium for much longer. It was that night against Boavista that was a true reflection of what Felix is destined to for years to come – on the world stage that is. The wonderkid was directly involved in three goals during their rampant 5-1 victory. After the victory, Portuguese newspaper A Bola headlined the next morning “Served by a Genius”. Record meanwhile referred to him as the “new golden boy” and “a hurricane”.
Certainly, we’ve got to be cautious of labelling youngsters like Joao Felix and placing unnecessary pressure on his shoulders but the whole nation may be forgiven for thinking so highly of the player. There is no doubt it, Joao Felix may just justify the hype. Some in Portugal are already arguing that the 19-year-old may be even more developed than Cristiano Ronaldo was in his early days at Sporting Lisbon. Ronaldo himself has watched Felix on a few occasions and he may even be thinking that he will be leaving the national team with a bright future in their hands.
So what might his future employers expect if they are able to prize him away from Benfica?
Well, there are various opinions as to what position Joao Felix actually fits perfectly in, some would argue – reflecting on his style of play – that he is the perfect no.10. However, that isn’t the case for his club side. Since Benfica coach Bruno Lage took over in early January, Felix has been deployed just behind the striker – almost like a second striker and he has made that position his own since his promotion to the first team. The Portuguese wonderkid has notched an incredible 11 goals and laid on 4 assists from that role.
Felix is devastating when driving and running towards defenders, which means he has the ability to play anywhere across the front line. The forward holds vast skill sets that certain players his age would kill for. Trickery, speed on the ball, eye for a telling pass and also the added icing on the cake, his finishing capabilities are so rare for a player who only just started first team football this current campaign.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bDS28Q5lMw
Since becoming the youngest Benfica goalscorer in a Lisbon derby after only being on the pitch half-an-hour, Felix has already lived up to the hype that surrounded him since his days in the youth ranks. It’s no surprise that Felix has already drawn much comparisons to Brazilian legend Kaka in the way they move effortlessly across the attacking third and attempting the most audacious of passes in order to create, not only that but his fantastic finishing abilities is almost reminiscent of Kaka’s glory days at AC Milan. Under Bruno Lage, Felix has been utilised sparingly, as the second striker in a 4-4-2 formation behind Haris Seferovic or on the left of a 4-3-3 as an inside-forward – both roles have been executed to perfection so far this season.
Having been released by FC Porto because of his slight frame – how they will be regretting that decision – Benfica have been attempting a whole host of avenues to keep the youngster in shape and in tip-top condition. After such an impressive breakthrough season, the question Felix may be have to answer this summer is whether he will be ready to make the step up to a top club or does he ride it out another season in the Primera Liga to continue his rapid development. Whatever happens, Joao Felix is certainly a player to watch for the coming year.
A true talent Portugal have on their hands.
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