Manchester City have made an 'informal offer' to Benfica that has matched the €120m release clause of starlet João Félix, according to a report from the youngster's native Portugal.
The 19-year-old forward has enjoyed a breakout season at the Estádio da Luz, where his 20 goals and 11 assists helped Benfica win the Primeira Liga title as well as reach the Europa League quarter-finals.
Félix has been attracting interest from across Europe ahead of the summer transfer window, with both Manchester City and United expected to rival La Liga's big hitters in the race for his signature.
Although talk over Félix's future has remained purely speculative so far this summer, Portuguese outlet Correio da Manha claims that Pep Guardiola's City have already submitted an 'informal' €120m offer for the Benfica star.
The offer matches Félix's release clause in Lisbon, but it's added that their bid remains 'informal' because of financial fair play.
As part of City's offer, Félix would be given a €4.5m a year contract at Etihad Stadium, which would run until either 2023 or 2024.
It seems likely that Correio da Manha's report is still premature in regards to any kind of offer from Manchester City, while claiming they've made an 'informal offer' is a term reserved solely for the world of football.
In plain English, it can be translated as 'Manchester City definitely haven't made an offer for Félix yet... but they might'.
One thing that is for certain is that Manchester City will be in Portugal over the next week to scout Félix, as he's expected to be a big part of Fernando Santos' squad which kicks off the UEFA Nations League against Switzerland on Wednesday.
Source :
90min
