Manchester City to rival Manchester United for £100m-rated teenager

Manchester City have joined the race to sign Benfica wonderkid Joao Felix, claims The Sun.

Felix has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United in recent months after emerging as one of the hottest prospects in Europe this season.

The 19-year-old has a reported £100m release clause in his current Benfica deal but the Portuguese giants are desperate to increase it.

United are keen to hoover up the best young talent in Europe this summer and have also earmarked Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho as a top transfer target.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side can now expect stiff competition from rivals City if they want to intensify their pursuit of Felix.

City director of football, Txiki Begiristain, reportedly watched Benfica’s win over Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League earlier this month and would have kept tabs on Felix.

Felix has remarkably played a direct hand in 14 goals in 18 league matches this season, at a rate every 77.9 minutes of action.

Of players aged 23 and under to have made more than five appearances in Liga NOS this season, only future Real Madrid defender Eder Militao (7.64) has a higher WhoScored rating than Felix (7.42).