Why West Ham’s big guns must splash the cash on this 19-year-old Portuguese sensation in the summer

Why West Ham should go all out to sign Joao Felix in the summer

According to reports from AS, Benfica’s 19-year-old midfield starlet Joao Felix is attracting interest from some of the world’s biggest clubs, including Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSG and Juventus.

Only a player of immense talent will have been targeted by all of the best clubs and that’s probably the reason why there’s so much interest in Joao Felix, who could one day develop into a world-beater as the current footballing gods: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

According to reports, West Ham have been keeping tabs on the youngster since last summer and are said to very keen on bringing him to the London Stadium. While convincing a player to move to West Ham over Barcelona could be quite a task, it certainly will be better for his development.

At 19-years-old, Joao Felix is already being compared to the likes of Ronaldo and Messi with some reports from ESPN even suggesting that he is the ‘next Cristiano Ronaldo’. While these labels are quite far fetched, it is obvious that this is a player with immense talent and potential.

Almost impossible to stop with the ball on his feet, like Ronaldo, Felix is a strong runner who is able to turn and cut at high speeds but also has the close control to beat players with neat skills and tricks. He is also very fast with the ball at his feet and covers massive distances along the match.

The Portuguese’s shooting and finishing abilities are excellent too and at such a tender age, he already looks like the complete package.

Felix began his youth career at Porto and was at the club until 2014 when he made the heavily controversial move to the south of Portugal to join SL Benfica on a free transfer. Little did Porto know what kind of talent they were going to lose.

He has played 12 games in the Liga NOS for Benfica this campaign and has scored 6 times and assisted 3. Felix is a Portugal U21 international, who has played 9 games at that level while registering 4 goals for his country.

Like Ronaldo, the dynamic and aggressive nature of the Premier League can make him ready for the tactical nature of the rest of the leagues. Again like his compatriot, Felix would be guaranteed regular opportunities if he was to make the switch to the English capital.

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Manuel Pellegrini is an excellent coach and could be the ideal man to nurture a young talent like him. Despite all the interest from the elite clubs, at 19, Felix must make the switch to West Ham and develop before making a big-money move elsewhere.