Joao Felix signals intent to leave Chelsea already this summer after AC Milan transfer revelation | OneFootball

Joao Felix joined AC Milan on loan until the end of the season and he is now open to leaving Chelsea to remain at the San Siro beyond the summer.

The 25-year-old only joined Chelsea on a permanent basis last summer in a transfer which facilitated Conor Gallagher's switch from Stamford Bridge to Atletico Madrid.

After a loan spell in 2023, Felix re-joined Chelsea on a permanent basis in a deal worth around £45m, however his future at the club is now uncertain despite signing a seven-year contract and expressing his excitement at returning to England.

But after 20 appearances this season for Chelsea in all competitions under head coach Enzo Maresca, Felix opted to depart in January and finalised a move to AC Milan for the remainder of the season.

Felix netted on his debut for the Rossoneri after coming on as a substitute during their victory over AS Roma in Coppa Italia.

Joao Felix (right) celebrating scoring on his AC Milan debut. / IMAGO / ABACAPRESS

After settling into his new surroundings in Italy, Felix spoke with the Italian media for the first time. He was quizzed on his long term future and hinted he would be ready to leave Chelsea on a permanent basis after just one year.

"For now I’m on loan, until June," Felix told reporters, as quoted by SempreMilan. "Let’s see how it goes. For the moment I’m really liking everything: the club, the people, the infrastructure. I’ve been welcomed very well, both me and my family.

"I feel good here, but we know that in football things can change quickly. But if there was the possibility of staying at Milan I would like to.

“In every club, I had the expectation of playing at my best, but if things don’t go well it’s important to persevere.”

Enzo Maresca's verdict on Joao Felix's Chelsea future

The Chelsea head coach has been open on the Portugal international's future at Stamford Bridge. With Felix wanting regular minutes, the 45-year-old has been unable to clarify the forward's future.

IMAGO / Sportimage

“I don’t know about the future,” Maresca said. “It’s complicated to talk about the future.

“For me, it’s just about now and the reason why Joao left is because of his desire to get more minutes. Here, since we started, he struggled to get minutes, and he wants to leave because he wants to play more minutes. It’s no more than that.

“Sometimes you buy players, but after six months or one year, altogether - player, club manager - you decide that it’s a better option for him to leave or to stay.”

After Chelsea's 2-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup, Maresca delivered a brutally honest verdict of Felix's absence, admitting: "I don't think we miss Joao. Joao is happy there (at Milan) and we are happy Joao is happy there."