The attacking midfielder was said to be imteresting both Chelsea and West Ham United.
Any chance Chelsea and West Ham United had of signing the young Benfica midfielder, Joao Felix, has taken a significant hit.
Felix has impressed with two goals and an assist in five league outings for Benfica this season, his first at senior level.
And the Mirror reported just yesterday (November 4th, page 67) that Chelsea were ‘closely watching’ the 18-year-old, for whom it claims West Ham ‘tried to seal a deal’ last month.
But Felix has since renewed his contract with the Eagles, in doing so tying himself the the Portuguese giants until 2023 and increasing his buyout clause by £60 million (from around £45 million to around £105 million), according to O Jogo.
Although that is not the price that either Chelsea or West Ham United would necessarily need to pay to prise Felix away from Estadio da Luz, it should serve as a deterrent for the time being.
Should Chelsea / West Ham stay on Joao’s trail?
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
