Now World ViewJoao Felix clause, Chelsea’s transfer decision and how it impacts FIFA Club World Cup plans
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Chelsea may have to make do without Joao Felix for the Blues' FIFA Club World Cup campaign that gets underway on June 16 in the United States.
The west Londoners are one of 32 clubs in the revamped post-season tournament, that will be played all across America from mid-June to mid-July, and will face off against Mexican outfit Club Leon in their opening match at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. However, with Felix’s loan at AC Milan not due to expire until June 30, the Portuguese attacker may not be back in time to feature for Chelsea in the competition.
If his contract is seen through right to the very end, then this would prevent him being part of Enzo Maresca’s squad in the United States. However, football.london understands there is a clause inserted within the 25-year-old’s contract at the San Siro that would allow the Blues to recall him and have him available for the Club World Cup.
Felix has endured a slow start to life in Milan, despite the Portugal international scoring on his debut for the club in the win against AS Roma on February 5. The Chelsea loanee was brought on for the final half hour of the Coppa Italia quarter-final and found the back of the net to ensure a perfect start to life with his temporary club. He went onto admit that he could see himself staying in Milan beyond the conclusion of his loan spell there.
Speaking not long after his debut goal, 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."
Since those comments, however, things have taken a turn for the worse for the Portuguese. One Italian outlet, Corriere della Sera, described Felix as the "worst on the pitch" following Milan's defeat to Torino last month, with the Chelsea loanee playing over an hour in Turin. A few days later, Bologna inflicted even more pain on the Rossoneri and Felix came in for even more criticism from the same outlet.
"He is neither seen nor heard," they wrote. "He doesn't make a single move, even his teammates avoid him."
Chelsea re-signed Felix for around £45million last August with the Portuguese international penning a seven-year contract at Stamford Bridge. Felix's move saw him return to west London after spending the second half of the 2022/23 season on loan at the Blues and he said he was ready to make the club his home after back-to-back loan spells before making the permanent move to SW6.
"It's a chance for me to find a home," Felix said after signing in August 2024. "After two loans, Chelsea and Barcelona, I needed to stay permanently in one place. There is no better place for me to be than Chelsea. I see a perfect place to shine.
"It was a little bit of a lot of things that made me want to come back: the project, the club, the league, the fans, the time I spent here that I loved. I felt really good when I was here, despite the results we had. I'm really happy to be back."
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