Transfer Centre

Manchester United 'decided against Joao Felix move'

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 16 October 2019

Man United 'decided against Joao Felix move'

Manchester United held discussions with Benfica over a summer move for Joao Felix before deciding to drop their interest, according to a report.

Manchester United were reportedly in the running for Joao Felix during the summer transfer window but ultimately decided not to pursue a deal for the Portugal international.

Felix scored 20 times in 43 appearances for Benfica during the 2018-19 campaign, which led to a host of speculation surrounding the 19-year-old's future.

Atletico Madrid ultimately activated the attacker's £113m release clause to bring him to the Wanda Metropolitano, and Felix has scored three times in 10 appearances for Diego Simeone's side this season.

According to The Athletic, United had many transfer discussions with Benfica but were concerned that the youngster would be unable to cope with the physical demands of the Premier League.

The Red Devils allowed both Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku to leave Old Trafford during the summer transfer window without bringing a new forward to the club.

Anthony Martial started the 2019-20 campaign in impressive fashion, but the Frenchman has been absent since the end of August with a thigh issue, and Marcus Rashford has struggled to carry the goalscoring burden.