Chelsea’s $91m Flop Finds New Team
Joao Felix, a 25-year-old forward, is ready to start fresh in Serie A. He’s heading to AC Milan on loan for the rest of the 2024-25 season. This comes after a big move to Chelsea from Atletico Madrid for £46 million (AU$91m) just six months ago. Unfortunately, his time with Chelsea didn’t go as planned. He struggled to make a real impact.
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Tough Times at Chelsea
Since joining Chelsea in August, Felix mostly came off the bench in the Premier League. He only started nine games, with six of those in cup matches. This made it hard for him to show what he could do in league play. He also faced stiff competition from Cole Palmer, who often played in the number 10 position, which is Felix’s favorite spot. Despite the rough time, Felix did score seven goals while at Chelsea. One of those was a great goal in a 6-2 victory over Wolves. He also netted four goals in the Conference League, helping the team reach the last 16. Plus, he scored two goals in the FA Cup against Morecambe in January.
Moving to AC Milan
Felix’s loan to AC Milan includes a £5 million fee, and there’s no buy option at the end. Many expected him to leave Chelsea, as his performances were quite up and down, just like his first time at the club. Chelsea’s coach, Enzo Maresca, noted that Felix didn’t play much because Palmer was doing well in the number 10 role. With such few starting chances, a move away from Chelsea seemed certain, and now it’s official.
Familiar Faces at AC Milan
At AC Milan, Felix will join some former Chelsea players like Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori, Christian Pulisic, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. This move is a new beginning for Felix, and he’ll be hoping to regain the form he showed during his loan at Barcelona.
Chelsea’s New Player: Mathis Amougou
In other news, Chelsea has signed midfielder Mathis Amougou from St Etienne for £12.5 million (AU$25m). The 19-year-old has signed an eight-year deal. He was part of the team that got promoted from Ligue 2 last season. Amougou has played 17 times in Ligue 1 this season and is expected to join Chelsea’s first team. He shared his excitement about the move, saying, “I’m very happy. It’s an honor to sign for such a big club like Chelsea. They believe in young players, and their process to develop us is fantastic.”
Felix’s shift to AC Milan and Chelsea’s signing of Amougou show how the club is changing as they build their team.
