AC Milan have secured the services of Chelsea attacker João Félix on a loan deal running through the remainder of the campaign. The Serie A club have paid a fee of £5 million for the 25-year-old, though there is no clause obligating them to purchase him outright when the season concludes.
Despite the official confirmation arriving on Tuesday, all necessary documentation had been finalized ahead of Monday’s transfer deadlines for both Serie A and the Premier League. Félix initially joined Chelsea on a permanent transfer from Atletico Madrid in August for £45 million, after previously spending the latter half of the 2022-23 season at Stamford Bridge on loan.
Gallagher’s departure and Atletico’s involvement
The move materialized in a rather unconventional manner, as Chelsea and Atletico Madrid orchestrated a player exchange. Conor Gallagher, a Chelsea academy product, made the switch to the Spanish capital for a £33 million transfer fee.
Initially, Chelsea had engaged in discussions to sign Atletico’s Samu Omorodion, but negotiations broke down. The agreement for Félix then surfaced as Atletico sought to generate the necessary funds to finalize the Gallagher acquisition.
Gallagher had entered the final 12 months of his Chelsea contract, prompting the club to sanction his sale to avoid the possibility of him leaving without a transfer fee in the summer of 2025.
Limited Premier League action and previous moves
Félix has struggled for consistent playing time in the English top flight this season, making only three league starts. However, he has been a more frequent presence in domestic cup competitions, where he has netted seven goals.
The Portuguese forward’s career began at Benfica before he completed a high-profile £113 million transfer to Atletico Madrid in 2019. At the time, this fee ranked as the fifth-largest transfer in football history.
Last season, Félix spent the year on loan at Barcelona before returning to Chelsea last summer. Now, he embarks on a new challenge with Milan, who are currently eighth in Serie A. The Rossoneri are preparing for a Coppa Italia quarter-final against Roma on Wednesday, in addition to a two-legged Champions League play-off tie versus Feyenoord later this month.
