Manchester United have joined the race to sign Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: Felix's Atletico career

Felix arrived at Atletico from Benfica in July 2019 with a huge £113m price tag to live up to, and while he has performed well, with an average match rating of 7.15 in La Liga last season being the highest figure of any player for his side, he now looks set to leave the club in January.

Atletico chief executive Miguel Angel Marin pointed towards a difficult relationship with manager Diego Simeone as one of the factors in what appears to be an imminent departure, and United could now capitalise on that and bring him to Old Trafford in January.

The Latest: Premier League move?

According to The Daily Record, the Portugal international's current club are prepared to let him leave in January, as long as a potential suitor stumps up a £8m loan fee, with Arsenal current leading the way, but United also interested in signing him as a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo.

There would be no contractual obligation to buy the player outright, but the Financial Fair Play costs of his contract must also be covered in full by his new club.

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The Verdict: Get it done?

Given that Erik ten Hag would not be obligated to sign the 23-year-old if he does not perform well enough at Old Trafford, it is a signing that would be a low-risk option for the United manager this January.

The £260,000-per-week maestro has been lauded as 'world-class' by Miguel Angel Marin, and he has displayed this level of talent, at times, with Atletico, bagging eight goals and four assists in 24 La Liga appearances last season, a goal contribution every other game.

While this record is perhaps not befitting of the £113m fee the La Liga club initially spent on him, he clearly still has bags of ability, and a proven history of being able to perform at the top level.

At 23, he is also still at a young enough age to develop a lot further, so ten Hag should enter negotiations swiftly before a move to Arsenal is completed.