Man Utd in £120m transfer battle with Man City and Real Madrid for Joao Felix

MANCHESTER UNITED and Manchester City are embroiled in a £120million tug of war with Real Madrid for Portugal starlet Joao Felix.

Posted Tuesday, June 04, 2019 by Express.co.uk

Man Utd in £120m transfer battle with Man City and Real Madrid for Joao Felix (Image: GETTY)

Both Premier League clubs will have scouts watching Benfica teenager Felix in Portugal's Nations League semi-final against Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday night.

Benfica want around £120million for Portugal's latest footballing sensation, who United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has targeted as he begins the rebuilding of his team after a disappointing season.

But Solskjaer faces fierce competition from Real Madrid, who are desperate to land the Benfica teenager - as well as City and Juventus.

Real have already seen an opening bid of around £80million for Felix rejected, but are now expected to use Benfica's interest in goalkeeper Keylor Navas to try to clinch a deal for Europe's most sought-after the finals next week.

Felix, 19, scored 18 goals in 33 games for Benfica this season, and became the youngest player to score a Europa League hat trick since Sergio Aguero when he netted three against Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter finals in April.

The teenager is set to make his senior debut for Portugal against the Swiss in Porto, after being called up for the finals by coach Fernando Santos.

But Portuguese sports minister Joao Paulo Rebelo last night labelled as "a***holes", fans who barracked the Benfica youngster when he arrived back at Portugal's training camp at Espinho on Sunday.

Rival Porto fans banged on the roof of the teenagers' parents' car when it arrived at the training camp, and booed him.

Man Utd in £120m transfer battle with Man City and Real Madrid for Joao Felix (Image: GETTY)

The minister said: "It was asshole behaviour of one, two or a handful of individuals who do not represent the support the country gives our players, especially when they're wearing the Portugal shirt. Of that I have no doubt."

Portugal defender Pepe denied that his team were favourites to win the tournament this week, despite being on home soil, saying: "We are candidates, not favourites."

The Portuguese are the only one of the four teams in the Nations League finals not to have had any players involved in the Europa or Champions League finals last week.

But Pepe said: "I, for one, was in the Portuguese Cup final last week, and after a few days to rest, I had to change the 'chip' for a new competition.

Man Utd in £120m transfer battle with Man City and Real Madrid for Joao Felix (Image: GETTY)