Manchester United ready £150 million assault for Portuguese pair – but face competition

Joao Felix

Benfica youngster Felix and Sporting midfielder Fernandes have piqued the interest of Europe’s leading clubs after impressive campaigns in Portugal.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is set to oversee a squad overhaul at the end of the season after a disappointing campaign that could see United fail to reach the Champions League.

The Evening Standard has reported that the Premier League club have stepped up their pursuit of the pair and could be willing to spend £150 million to secure both of their signatures.

However, United’s potential failure to secure Champions League football for next season could prove to be a stumbling block, with three points currently separating Solskjaer’s team in sixth from Chelsea in fourth with two games to go,.

Manchester City, Juventus and Real Madrid are among the teams who are said to be interested in 19-year-old Felix and both will be able to offer him game time in Europe’s top club competition.

The attacking midfielder has become one of European football’s hottest properties this season after scoring 13 goals in 23 league games for the Lisbon club.

He could cost the Red Devils around £100 million, although the club have also targeted Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho and it's unclear if they will be willing to fork out on both teenagers in one transfer window.

Sporting’s 24-year-old midfielder Fernandes has been earmarked to strengthen the midfield after Marouane Fellaini’s January departure, and with Ander Herrera set to leave on a free transfer.

United are understood to have shown the greatest interest in the midfielder who has scored 16 league goals for his club this season, although Idrissa Gueye of Everton has also been named as a potential target.

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Alasdair Mackenzie is a freelance journalist based in Rome, and a FourFourTwo contributor since 2015. When not pulling on the FFT shirt, he can be found at Reuters, The Times and the i. An Italophile since growing up on a diet of Football Italia on Channel 4, he now counts himself among thousands of fans sharing a passion for Ross County and Lazio.