Enzo Maresca defends bold transfer decision after Chelsea’s early FA Cup exit
Enzo Maresca has defende 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 dumpe out สมัคร UFABET วันนี้ รับเครดิตฟรีสำหรับสมาชิกใหม่ of the FA Cup in the fourth round on Saturday, losing 2-1 to fellow Premier League side Brighton.
The Italian head coach was quizze 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 joine 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 jette 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.’