João Félix has been relegated to the bench after Tottenham’s unsuccessful attempt to secure a loan deal with AC Milan.

According to TEAMtalk, Chelsea player Joao Felix joined AC Milan on loan on deadline day, and there is a realistic possibility that he has played his final game for the Blues.

It was inevitable that one of Felix or Christopher Nkunku would leave Chelsea, but not both. In the end, it was the Portuguese forward who made the move.

Throughout the January transfer window, Nkunku was strongly associated with Manchester United and Bayern Munich; however, the Blues were contemplating his sale only if his valuation was fulfilled. An additional difficulty was Nkunku’s reluctance to leave on loan.

Ultimately, neither Bayern nor Man Utd were prepared to meet Nkunku’s price tag of over £60m, resulting in Felix joining AC Milan on a direct loan arrangement.

Several clubs expressed interest in Felix, among them Aston Villa, with Unai Emery believed to be a major fan of the 25-year-old. Instead, Villa opted to chase Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford for loan deals.

Villa would have preferred to sign Felix on a permanent basis, but Chelsea’s sale of the Portuguese playmaker would likely have resulted in a book loss after they paid around £45m for him last summer.

Felix has the opportunity to accumulate playing time and enhance his worth through a loan transfer to Milan. Since he is contracted with Chelsea until 2031, the club is unlikely to entertain a discounted transfer this summer.

How Tottenham and Mathys Tel’s moves aided Milan in acquiring Joao Felix Milan has secured a loan deal for Felix, paying a £5m fee and agreeing to cover his wages, which are reported to be £65k per week, until the season concludes.

Chelsea can thus recover funds from the transaction right away, and if Felix’s situation in Italy improves, they may turn a profit on him next summer or later.

The loan transfer was reportedly motivated by Milan’s manager Sergio Conceicao, after which Felix’s agent Jorge Mendes traveled to Italy in the closing days of the transfer window to complete the arrangement, according to TEAMtalk.

Felix appears poised to become a crucial asset for Milan as they aim to recover from a lackluster Serie A start that has them sitting eighth. Additionally, Milan is up against Feyenoord in a vital Champions League playoff, seeking to advance to the last sixteen.