AC Milan will not sign Chelsea outcast João Félix on a permanent deal this summer after confirming his departure on social media.
After a previous loan spell with the Blues, Félix joined Chelsea permanently last summer for £46 million ($63.1 million) but failed to convince Enzo Maresca and swiftly moved to Milan for the second half of the 2024–25 campaign to earn more minutes.
However, the Portugal international struggled in Italy, producing just three goals in 21 appearances in all competitions. Milan didn’t have an obligation to buy the 25-year-old in their loan agreement with Chelsea and have now confirmed his exit.
On Instagram, Milan posted a photo of Félix alongside the caption: “All the best for the future, João!”
Félix was omitted from Chelsea’s travelling squad for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup alongside fellow returning loanees Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell and Axel Disasi, and it’s expected that the forward will now be tasked with finding a new club this summer as the Blues look to trim their vast squad.
Benfica, Félix’s former club which he left in 2019, have been linked with re-signing him and their manager Bruno Lage spoke about the attacker ahead of their last 16 tie at the Club World Cup against Chelsea.
“We have talked about João Félix [coming back] since he left Benfica,” said the former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss.
“He is a special player for Benfica, for me, and he is on his holidays. He is maybe asleep now because he is on the other side of the world. It’s important to be focused on the players who are going to play against Chelsea.”
However, Benfica’s club president, Rui Costa, has quashed talks of Félix’s return to Lisbon recently, stating: “It is a long way from there until we bring João back, I can’t say much more than that. There is no way I can come close to thinking that it is possible.”
