Chelsea have reportedly received a proposal from AC Milan for Joao Felix.
The Portugal international only returned to Stamford Bridge in the summer, completing a £46.3m transfer from Atletico Madrid.
At the time, Felix was in favour of a return to life in London having previously spent a loan stint with the Blues, but he is yet to claim a regular place in Enzo Maresca's starting lineup.
Seven goals have been scored in his nine starts and 10 substitute outings in all competitions, the majority of his minutes being accumulated in the FA Cup, EFL Cup and Conference League.
As a result, a report emerged earlier this week that Milan were contemplating whether to try to take advantage of the situation, aware that Chelsea officials are looking at ways how to raise funds for new players.
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Milan make Felix move?
According to transfer expert Ekrem Konur, who was commenting on X, Milan have now made a concrete move for the 25-year-old's services.
The report suggests that the Serie A giants have presented a loan proposal that would come with the obligation to buy.
While the size of any fee has not been revealed, Chelsea are unlikely to contemplate eventually making a financial loss on a player who holds a contract until 2023.
Nevertheless, it is alleged that Felix is open to the move, his Premier League employers left to decide how to handle the interest when they are already one attacker down due to Mykhaylo Mudryk's provisional failed drugs test.
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What does this mean for Rashford interest?
Milan - who find themselves down in eighth position in the Serie A table - have also been strongly linked with an approach for Manchester United's Marcus Rashford.
The England international's brother and agent is said to have spent time in Italy to discuss a move, yet there has been little movement on that front since those discussions.
Furthermore, it has been suggested that a switch to Barcelona is Rashford's preference at a time when Borussia Dortmund are seemingly showing the most intent in wrapping up a deal.
With Champions League qualification for 2025-26, Milan can realistically not afford to commit themselves to terms that could be unfavourable come the summer, essentially meaning that a loan for Rashford should remain on the table for the time being.
In the meantime, Felix is preparing for a possible start for Chelsea against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday courtesy of a number of injury issues.
Darren Plant
