Man Utd handed major boost in pursuit of 'excellent' target who has starred at the World Cup

Manchester United have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Portugal star Joao Felix, according to new reports - but they face competition.

Felix was one of Portugal's top players as they reached the quarter-finals of the competition, regularly playing just behind the main striker.

He scored in their 3-2 win over Ghana in the opening group stage game, and provided a further two assists throughout the competition.

Felix currently plies his trade for Atletico Madrid, although that could soon change in January. Sources have told ESPN that Diego Simeone will trim his squad in the upcoming window, and that between three to five players could leave.

One of those players is said to be Felix, who joined the club for a £113 million fee from Benfica in 2019.

But Atletico are said to want to recoup a large amount of that fee back, meaning a permanent deal could be off the table for interested clubs.

With the knee injury suffered by Gabriel Jesus that is set to rule him out of action for several months, Arsenal have been linked with an interest in the player. A loan deal may be best suited to the Gunners, who would potentially then have the option to purchase him permanently in the summer.

But Manchester United are also said to hold strong interest, and they may well now consider themselves favourites to complete a deal.

Felix to Manchester United?

Gunners fans have now been given a boost that they could sign Felix in January, as per new reports from Spanish outlet AS.

They claim that two clubs are leading the race to sign the 23-year-old, with Arsenal one of the clubs. However, it is claimed that United are ahead of them.

It is added that Felix likes the Red Devils, and that Atletico received a huge €130 million bid from the club in the summer. That bid would likely be enough to secure his services this time around, with offers of over €100 million quoted as being enough to convince the Spanish club to sell.

United are on the search for a forward to replace Cristiano Ronaldo after his departure by 'mutual agreement', and Felix, who was described as an 'excellent' player by Ronaldo himself in an interview with Mundo Deportivo in 2019, could fit the bill.