Felix completes loan move to San Siro
Chelsea forward João Félix has joined AC Milan on loan until the end of the season.
The Italian giants have paid a £5m loan fee for the 25-year-old Portugal international, but there’s no obligation to make the move permanent in the summer.
Although the deal was only officially announced on Tuesday, all the necessary paperwork had been submitted ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline for both Serie A and the Premier League.
Félix signed a seven-year contract with Chelsea last August when he completed a £45m permanent switch from Atletico Madrid, following a loan spell at Stamford Bridge during the second half of the 2022-23 season.
His move came about in unusual circumstances, as Chelsea and Atletico effectively swapped players—academy graduate Conor Gallagher heading to Spain in a £33m deal.
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Chelsea had initially been in talks to sign Atletico striker Samu Omorodion, but those negotiations collapsed. The Félix deal appears to have been a way for Atletico to raise the necessary funds to finalise Gallagher’s transfer.
With Gallagher entering the final year of his contract, Chelsea were keen to sell and avoid losing him on a free transfer.
However, Félix has struggled for regular Premier League starts this season, making just three appearances from the off. He has featured more frequently in cup competitions, where he has scored seven goals.
Felix on loan to AC Milan. Is this a good move? youtu.be/7Q2F5FTF7bs?...
— European Super Football (@superfootball.bsky.social) 4 February 2025 at 17:51
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The Portuguese forward first made a name for himself at Benfica before joining Atletico Madrid in a £113m transfer in July 2019—at the time, the fifth-most expensive signing in football history.
After spending the 2023-24 season on loan at Barcelona, he returned to Chelsea last summer, but his long-term future remains uncertain.
Milan, currently eighth in Serie A, take on Roma in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals on Wednesday and face a two-legged Champions League play-off against Feyenoord this month.
What next for Félix?
The writing seemed to be on the wall for João Félix when he barely celebrated his two goals against Morecambe in the FA Cup third round in early January.
One match report described him as "the man for the small occasions," highlighting how he had mostly been used against lower-ranked opposition in the FA Cup, Carabao Cup, and Conference League under Enzo Maresca.
His lack of minutes has largely been down to Cole Palmer’s importance as Chelsea’s number 10, while the fact that Christopher Nkunku hasn’t moved to Manchester United or Bayern Munich has also played a role in the club’s decision to send Félix out on loan.
It’s an unusual situation. Having already had loan spells at Chelsea and Barcelona while contracted to Atletico Madrid, Félix is now searching for his third temporary home as he continues to try and fulfil the immense potential he first showed at Benfica.
