Joao Felix has left Chelsea to spend the rest of the season at AC Milan (Image: Getty)
Joao Felix is spending the rest of the season on loan at despite only completing a move to in August.
The 25-year-old has found minutes hard to come by ahead of , who remains the Blues’ principal attacking threat and top goalscorer. will bank a for sending Felix to Milan, who will cover the entirety of his wages.
Fans may wonder how it got to the point of Felix wanting out within six months of him signing. And the Portuguese international’s first interview as a permanent player, having initially spent time on loan at Stamford Bridge in 2023, is even more of a head-scratcher.
Felix claimed he was ready to settle down after a period of bouncing from one club to another. But with his career going nowhere behind Palmer in the pecking order, he did not take long to decide that yet another move would be his best course of action.
He told the website after signing from Atletico Madrid in August: “It’s a chance for me to find a home. After two loans, and Barca, I needed to stay permanently in one place.
“There is no better place for me to be than . I see a perfect place to shine. The best years are still to come. And this year is going to be a good year, because now I am permanently at home, and I can enjoy home.”
Joao Felix was Enzo Maresca’s second-choice attacking midfielder behind Cole Palmer (Image: Getty)
A staggering 17 players have been given more minutes than Felix by this season, including Axel Disasi, Reece James and Christopher Nkunku. Trevoh Chalobah, who was recalled from Crystal Palace less than three weeks ago, is only just behind him in 21st place.
The bulk of his joy came in the UEFA Conference League. Felix scored four goals in five games during this season’s league phase, but he had previously been used to competing in Europe’s top-tier club competition during spells with Benfica, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.
Aston Villa had shown interest in Felix before his move to Milan, with sporting director Monchi admitting that manager Unai Emery is a long-term admirer of the silky forward.
“Emery likes him,” he told Spanish radio show . “Because in the three markets I have been in, fourth with this one, he has always been popular and has been a small object of Emery’s desire.
“But it’s complicated, and I don’t know if we’ll be able to be there. He’s a player with a lot of quality and Emery, in his history as a coach, has been able to recover players who were considered lost, and he trusts in Joao’s talent.”