Man Utd explore Joao Felix transfer as Atletico Madrid star pushes for return to Premier League after Chelsea loan spell

• Man Utd, Newcastle & Villa keen on Felix
• Forward wants Champions League football
• Atletico Madrid open to sale

WHAT HAPPENED? According to ABC, the 23-year-old forward has emerged as a target for United, Newcastle United, and Aston Villa. The Portuguese playmaker is interested in continuing his career in England's top-flight after spending the second half of the 2022-23 campaign on loan at Chelsea, and is looking for a club that can offer him Champions League football, which effectively rules out Aston Villa.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: United have made initial contact with Felix's camp, but no formal offers have been presented to Atletico Madrid as of yet. The Rojiblancos wanted to offload Felix before the start of pre-season but that has not gone according to plan. According to reports, he has been asked to train with the academy players by Atletico boss Diego Simeone and has already been stripped of the No.7 shirt. 

AND WHAT'S MORE: Felix's struggles last season have led to a decline in his market value, which has forced Atletico to consider a sale. Chelsea were keen to sign him permanently but baulked at the exorbitant €100 million (£87m/$110m) valuation set by the Spanish side.

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WHAT NEXT? Manchester United may face competition from Paris Saint-Germain for Felix's signature as the Ligue 1 champions are believed to be vying for his services as well. If the Parisians go ahead and match Atletico's asking price, then United might have to look for alternatives.