“It’s a chance for me to find a home,” proclaimed Joao Felix upon sealing his Chelsea switch just half a year ago. “After two loans, Chelsea and Barca, I needed to stay permanently in one place.”

However, only five months and two weeks later (a scant 167 days), the Portuguese star is on the move once again, with football.

london reporting that AC Milan has scooped Felix up on loan until the season’s end, coughing up £4.5million for his talents while shouldering his entire wage bill.

Felix’s desire was to find stability and lay down roots – his sentiments couldn’t have been clearer. So, what led to this latest transitory chapter?

The crux of the matter appears to be two words: Cole Palmer.

While it seems somewhat unjust to pin Felix’s lack of Premier League pitch time on Palmer, his undeniable talent isn’t helping. In fact, Palmer’s extraordinary form has seen him net 14 goals – nearly a third of Chelsea’s overall league tally.

Initially from Manchester City, the youngster has flourished as a No. 10, where he’s found freedom under manager Enzo Maresca, morphing into a key figure by weaving magic through the midfield.

Felix’s return to Stamford Bridge has been marred by limited appearances, featuring just 12 times in the Premier League since August, with a mere three starts and a total of 363 minutes on the pitch. The Portuguese international has struggled for game time, often making brief appearances off the bench, five of which amounted to less than 10 minutes each.

Maresca, when quizzed about Felix’s situation last month, admitted the difficulty in fielding him due to an abundance of attacking talent: “The only thing I’ve said since the start of this season is that it is difficult to play him with so many attacking players,” he said. “In my idea it means that if Joao plays, it means Cole doesn’t play. Or, if Joao plays he has to play with Cole together, but it depends on the game.”

He further elaborated on the selection dilemma, stating, “For me, it’s quite easy; we have three players but they are more or less similar with Cole, Joao and Christopher Nkunku. Joao played some games, Christo also played and they both started against Ipswich and Southampton they played, Leicester they played. Some games they can both play together, but not ever game because every game is a bit different.”

One might wonder if Chelsea really needed to sign Felix. The Blues shelled out £45million to Atletico Madrid last summer, but with Conor Gallagher heading the other way, it was a deal that aided their PSR position.

However, Felix’s short stint at Stamford Bridge has raised questions about his necessity, especially given Christopher Nkunku’s similar role. Despite his technical prowess and ability to change a game with a single dribble or smart pass, Felix’s inconsistency – exacerbated by limited playing time – has meant his time in SW6 hasn’t been a success.

Granted, his journey isn’t over yet, as Milan don’t have an option to buy once his loan expires. But it seems like a long road ahead for Felix to carve out a successful career at Chelsea.

This article was originally published on Football London.