Enzo Maresca defends bold transfer decision after Chelsea’s early FA Cup exit
'I don't think we miss [him].'
Enzo Maresca has defended his decision to allow Joao Felix to join AC Milan on loan in the January transfer window after Chelsea’s FA Cup exit.
Maresca’s Chelsea team were dumped out of the FA Cup in the fourth round on Saturday, losing 2-1 to fellow Premier League side Brighton.
The Italian head coach was quizzed about Felix, who Chelsea were originally reluctant to loan out, following the match, with the Portuguese star scoring on his AC Milan debut on Wednesday in a 3-1 win over Roma.
Chelsea paid £46m to sign Felix permanently from Atletico Madrid last summer, marking his second stint for the Blues after a loan spell in 2023.
But the 25-year-old joined AC Milan in a temporary switch from Chelsea on deadline day in the winter transfer window after struggling for minutes in the Premier League, having started just three top-flight matches this term.
It has left the Blues somewhat light in attack after an injury to Nicolas Jackson but Chelsea boss Maresca is adamant he made the right call.
‘I don’t think we miss Joao,’ Maresca said in his post-match press conference following Chelsea’s FA Cup elimination.
‘Joao is happy there and we are happy Joao is happy there. We had two striker injuries on deadline day, it is something difficult to think.
‘Nico [Jackson] can be back very soon. Sometimes I think you need to play some games without players to realise how important they are.
‘Off the ball, his [Jackson] pressing is always very good and on the ball he is a threat always.’
It was previously thought that Chelsea would only sanction the departure of Felix if it was a permanent sale or a loan with an obligation to buy.
But Chelsea eventually agreed to let Felix join AC Milan on loan until the end of the season without an obligation or option to buy, after super-agent Jorge Mendes jetted to London on deadline day to help force the move.
‘The players train every day and they want to play all the games,’ Maresca said earlier this week when asked about Felix joining AC Milan on loan.
‘Unfortunately, just 11 play all the games and we decide altogether that that it was a good option to leave.
‘He never complained. He has been very good with us, professional. Just a matter of my decision.
‘The reason why is because we need defensive balance. When you have so many attacking players, sometimes you can concede a transition or a goal and I don’t like that.’
Meanwhile, it has emerged that Barcelona rejected the chance to sign Felix in January before he joined AC Milan on loan.
Felix, who is under contract at Stamford Bridge until 2031, mainly plays as a second striker but can also operate as a centre-forward or left winger.
He has played a total of 40 games for Chelsea to date, conjuring up 11 goals and two assists.
Felix, capped 45 times by Portugal, has particularly shined in the UEFA Conference League this season, scoring four goals across five matches.
The versatile attacker also netted a brace in Chelsea’s 5-0 FA Cup win over Morecambe last month in the third round of the iconic tournament.
He is now playing over in Italy and started AC Milan’s 2-0 Serie A win overEmpoli on Saturday, featuring for 84 minutes, marking his second appearance for the club after his debut in the Coppa Italia against Roma.
AC Milan head coach Sergio Conceicao is delighted to have the Chelsea star in his squad until the end of the season and recently declared: ‘[Felix] has so much quality. We all expect great things from him.’
