Joao Felix has admitted he could move to AC Milan on a permanent basis in the summer transfer window after switching Stamford Bridge for the San Siro on a loan deal.

The 25-year-old attacker moved to the Rossoneri on deadline day on a six-month loan deal until the end of the season. Felix was understood to have been frustrated with the lack of game time he was getting with the Blues, just five months after completing a permanent switch to SW6 for around £45million.

The majority of the Portugal international's minutes came in cup competitions, with the likes of Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku both ahead of him in the pecking order for the No.10 spot in Enzo Maresca's XI. Felix, who scored on his debut for Milan against AS Roma in Coppa Italia last week, has now admitted he could look to move to Italy for good when the summer comes around despite there not being an option to buy in the loan contract, football.london understands.

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Felix said: "For now, I'm on loan until June. And we'll see how things go. I'm enjoying what I've seen so far: the club, the people, the facilities. 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 from one day to the next. Were there the opportunity to stay at Milan, I would be willing to remain."

Felix made his first start for the Rossoneri at the weekend in their 2-0 away win at Empoli. The Portuguese was hooked on 84 minutes as Milan recorded a crucial three points, the same evening as Chelsea were being beaten away at Brighton in the FA Cup fourth round.

Blues head coach Maresca was asked about Felix after the game and whether he regrets letting the versatile attacker leave the club. However, the head coach was having none of that, insisting: "I don't think we miss Joao. Joao is happy there and we are happy Joao is happy there.

"The only thing I can say is no-one would predict on deadline day we had two strikers injured. This is something that is difficult to think. It unfortunately happened but we have Nico [Jackson] to be back very soon."

Many questioned the club's decision to re-sign Felix, who spent the second half of the 2022/23 season at Stamford Bridge on a short-term loan deal from Atletico Madrid, last summer considering the options Maresca already had at his disposal. This led Chelsea to offload Felix midway through the season and Maresca said last week the decision to let him go was a mutual one.

"Nothing happened. Simply, I said many times; players train every day and they want to play all of the games," the Italian explained. "Unfortunately there are just 11 playing all of the games. We decided all together that the best option was for him to leave.

"He never complained. He has been very good with us, professional. It is just a matter of my decision and I said many times, the reason why is because I think we need defensive balance and when you have so many attacking players, you can sometimes concede transitions and goals - and I don't like that."

If Chelsea can offload Felix in the summer transfer window, the west London club would be looking to recoup most - if not all - of the £45million they splashed out for him in the summer. The Blues will be hoping he can continue his impressive start to life in Milan in order to generate such a transfer fee.

If that can be generated, then it would pave the way for other business during the window. We know Chelsea are looking to sign a central striker at the end of the season with the likes of Benjamin Sesko and Liam Delap on the club's radar.

Both were looked at as potential options during last month's window but deals were viewed as either too complicated or expensive because it being midway through a season. Also, getting Felix's wages off the books for good would be positive news from a Chelsea perspective. Milan are, football.london understands, covering all of the Portuguese's wages between now and the end of the season.

Simply put, as well, it is one less player to choose from in attack for Maresca. The first half of the season saw Felix competing with Nkunku and Palmer for one position essentially. That was not sustainable, especially when the three players in question are so talented and each, in their own way, deserve to be on the pitch.