Chelsea's Joao Felix completes loan move to AC Milan
Chelsea's Joao Felix joined AC Milan on loan until the end of the season, the Italian club said Tuesday.
The six-month loan deal is understood to be worth €5.5 million, and Milan have agreed to pay the Portuguese international's full salary, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein.
Though the deal was formally announced Tuesday, Milan completed and submitted the necessary paperwork prior to Monday's transfer deadline.
The move comes less than a year into the six-year contract that Felix signed last summer when Chelsea signed him from Atletico Madrid for a reported £46.3-million fee. It was his second spell at Stamford Bridge after his loan in the second half of the 2022-23 campaign.
Felix will hope for more playing time in Milan after starting just three Premier League games for the Blues this season. He primarily featured in cup competitions under Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca.
He had seven goals in 20 appearances in all competitions this season.
Aston Villa were also linked with Felix, but the club pursued other attacking options instead. Along with adding Donyell Malen from Borussia Dortmund and Marcus Rashford from Manchester United during this transfer window, the club also signed Marco Asensio from Paris Saint-Germain to help fill the void of Jhon Duran's departure to Saudi Arabia.
The deal caps a whirlwind 24 hours for Milan. The Rossoneri, sitting eighth in Serie A, signed Santiago Gimenez, Warren Bondo, and Riccardo Sottil on transfer deadline day while saying goodbye to Alvaro Morata, Ismael Bennacer, Noah Okafor, and Davide Calabria.