In a surprising transfer development, Barcelona passed on signing Chelsea’s Joao Felix during the January window, setting their sights on Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford instead. Chelsea parted ways with Felix less than six months after investing £45 million to acquire the Portuguese playmaker from Atletico Madrid.
Felix, who inked a seven-year contract with Chelsea, had an impressive loan stint at Stamford Bridge in 2023. However, with the emergence of Enzo Maresca’s standout player, Cole Palmer, Felix’s role became uncertain.
Having started only three Premier League matches this season, Felix sought an exit in January and secured a deadline-day loan move to Serie A’s AC Milan.
Eager to rejuvenate his career, Felix made a promising debut for Milan, scoring in the Coppa Italia quarter-final victory over Roma. Reports from Spanish outlet Sport indicate that Felix was offered to Barcelona before his move to AC Milan, but the Catalan club declined the opportunity.
Felix was reportedly interested in returning to Barcelona, where he had previously spent time on loan after his initial Chelsea tenure. However, Nou Camp executives Joan Laporta and Deco were not in favor of the move.
Instead, Barcelona expressed interest in England international Marcus Rashford, who had experienced a fallout with Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim.
However, a lack of outgoing transfers in January prevented Barcelona from acquiring Rashford. Consequently, Rashford joined Unai Emery’s Aston Villa on loan until the season’s end.
Upon his departure, Chelsea manager Maresca commented on Felix’s exit: “We collectively decided that it was best for him to leave.
He remained professional throughout, but I felt we needed more defensive balance. With an abundance of attacking players, we risked conceding transitions and goals, which I find unacceptable.”
Rashford had been linked with a move to Barcelona after falling out of favor at Manchester United, especially after being omitted from a Manchester derby earlier in the season. After his loan move to Aston Villa, the 27-year-old stated: “I would like to thank Manchester United and Aston Villa for facilitating this loan.
Several clubs approached me, but Aston Villa was an easy choice. I admire their style of play and the manager’s ambitions. I just want to play football and am excited to get started. I wish everyone at Manchester United all the best for the rest of the season.”
This series of events highlights the intricate dynamics of the January transfer window, showcasing how player preferences and club strategies can significantly influence outcomes.