Manchester United’s pursuit of Joao Felix has stalled as Atletico Madrid’s demands are currently too high, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Felix availability

At the beginning of December, Spanish outlet Cadena SER reported that Atletico Madrid were willing to let Felix leave in the January transfer window.

Meanwhile, there are also claims from Spain (as relayed by The Mirror) that the 23-year-old has allegedly fallen out with Diego Simeone and is open to pastures new, with a loan deal until the end of the season piquing the interest of Premier League sides, notably United.

The Latest: Mendes’ involvement

Unsurprisingly, Jorge Mendes is set to play a huge part in the deal with Felix one of his clients, and the super-agent is attempting to convince Atleti into lowering their demands that are so far putting off interested clubs.

Romano revealed on his YouTube channel that as it stands, there won’t be an agreement between the two sides.

He said: “Manchester United confirmed to Jorge Mendes they really like Joao Felix and they want Joao Felix.

“Jorge Mendes is speaking to Atletico Madrid because they are asking [for] more than €15m for Joao Felix; it’s around €18m considering the taxes and all these kinds of [things] for a simple loan of six months.

“This is why Jorge Mendes is trying to understand if these conditions could change, because Manchester United and Arsenal are really interested - but at different conditions.”

The Verdict: Ridiculous fee

The idea of spending upwards of £15m on a six-month loan deal seems absolutely preposterous from United’s point of view, especially with the Portuguese never having proved himself in the Premier League, while his form this season is far from scintillating, despite broadcaster Nico Cantor dubbing his World Cup displays 'electric'.

A return of five goals and three assists in 19 games in all competitions - albeit from only 10 starts - is far from convincing, particularly when a loan deal offers no long-term assurances for him to build on.

Erik ten Hag may well be looking for a new forward to replace Cristiano Ronaldo in the squad, and with options potentially limited in January, a significant deal might have to wait until the summer, but we feel a short-term option for a relatively underperforming player seems incredibly unlikely to happen.