Zlatan Ibrahimovic sends message to Chelsea over Joao Felix transfer

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has opened the door to AC Milan signing Joao Felix from Chelsea on a permanent transfer this summer. Portugal forward Felix joined the Serie A side on loan in January after a frustrating first-half of the season at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea spent £45m to sign Felix from Atletico Madrid last summer but it was always hard to see where the 25-year-old would play given the attacking talent in Enzo Maresca’s squad and the presence of England playmaker Cole Palmer.

Felix started just three Premier League games for the Blues before agreeing to join AC Milan, currently just seventh in Serie A. There is no obligation for Milan to sign Felix on a permanent transfer but club chief and football icon Ibrahimovic insists ‘everything is possible’. Chelsea will likely be open to selling Felix given his lack of impact at the club but will be keen to recoup most of the £45m they spent less than 12 months ago.

Asked if AC Milan would consider signing Felix permanently in the summer, Ibrahimovic told Sky: ‘Everything is possible. ‘We want to trust Joao in order to see his best performances, then everything is possible.’. Felix endured a difficult few months at Chelsea but has hit the ground running at AC Milan, scoring on his debut in a 3-1 win over Roma. Following the Portuguese’s arrival in Milan, Ibrahimovic said: ‘Today we welcome Joao, even though he has already introduced himself with a magical goal.

‘He is a great talent, he has experience, but he is young and can still grow a lot. We looked for a player between midfield and attack for blocked matches, against closed teams and here he can make the difference. ‘He is a player of magic and this is something you either have or you don’t. His quality speaks for itself and we are satisfied. We must now put him in a position to do the best he can.’.

Felix, meanwhile, said he ‘pushed hard’ to join AC Milan as Kaka was one of his footballing idols growing up. ‘I pushed hard to come here,’ he said. ‘I want to give my all for this club. ‘I already knew [AC Milan boss Sergio] Conceicao. His passion is contagious. And winning is essential. Kaka has always been my idol. I saw myself in him and tried to imitate him. ‘The fans’ warmth has been incredible, I want to make them happy.’.

Chelsea have suffered several injury setbacks since the January transfer window closed – losing Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu to setbacks – but Maresca insisted last week he did not regret letting Felix leave. ‘I don’t think we miss Joao,’ he said. ‘Joao is happy there and we are happy Joao is happy there.’. Chelsea lost twice in a week to Brighton to exit the FA Cup and slip further down the Premier League table.

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