Benfica have reportedly slapped a €120 million price tag on 19-year-old Portuguese sensation Joao Felix, amid interest from Manchester United.
According to a report by Portuguese outlet Record, Benfica have named their price to part ways with Joao Felix, as the teenage prodigy’s stock continues to rise. The Portuguese heavyweights are set to demand €120 million in exchange for the 19-year-old, who is the subject of interest from Manchester United.
Joao Felix has had spells at two of the biggest clubs in Portugal, having initially joined FC Porto before eventually making his way to Benfica in 2015. Three years later, after making giant strides in the club’s youth setup, he was handed his first-team debut back in August.
Since then, the Portuguese sensation has taken no time to establish himself as a regular for Benfica, having gone on to make 21 appearances across all competitions. Add to it, an impressive record of eight goals and three assists, and it comes as no surprise that Felix has started attracting interest from the likes of Manchester United.
The Red Devils’ attack has been going through a resurgent run under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. But, Juan Mata is facing an uncertain future at Old Trafford, with his contract set to run out in the summer. While the Spaniard has not been a regular under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, his departure would still leave a spot open in the Manchester United attack.
This vacancy can potentially be filled by Felix, who has reportedly been scouted by Manchester United of late. The report suggests that scouts from clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, PSG, Monaco, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City have also scouted or enquired about Felix, putting Benfica on alert.
The report have quoted AS, who have claimed that Real Madrid have had their eyes on Felix ever since he scored against them in the UEFA Youth League in 2016-17. Meanwhile, Record state that Benfica have decided on their valuation of the teenage prodigy, having slapped a €120 million price tag on him.
The hefty price tag is more so to rebuff the attempts of the who’s who of European football than to cash in on the burgeoning reputation of the player. But, some of his suitors have previously been willing to splash the cash on targets they have believed in, although it remains to be seen if Manchester United, or any other interested club, is ready to meet Benfica’s valuation of the Portuguese youngster.
For now, what remains certain is that Joao Felix is going from strength to strength at Benfica, and it will be interesting to see if he ends up making his way to Manchester United in the summer, if they decide to shell out €120 million to land him.
