Journalist Jacque Talbot says that Atletico Madrid star Joao Felix is on Newcastle United's 'radar' as both Eddie Howe and Jorge Mendes fancy a deal.

The Lowdown: Plenty of interest

The Athletic reporter David Ornstein recently revealed that Atletico are 'ready' to loan out Felix in January, with both Arsenal and Manchester United the 'main contenders' for his signature.

However, they are thought to be 'nowhere near' the package that the La Liga side want to take the Portugal international on loan, with them demanding a total of €21m (£18.6m) to cover a short-term fee and wages.

It remains to be seen whether a club will pay that much just to take Felix for six months, but Newcastle seem to also be in the race to sign him...

The Latest: On Howe's 'radar'

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Talbot says that not only is Felix is a player on Howe's personal 'radar', but agent Mendes will want to drum up a 'healthy relationship' at St. James' Park for future transactions:

“Joao Felix is someone Howe has on his radar, as strange as that sounds. I think that Mendes would be looking to drum up a bit of a healthy relationship with Newcastle because you can sort of see down the line how big they’ll get and it’d be beneficial for him.”

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The Verdict: Get it done

Even if only for six months, this is a deal that the North East club should really be doing if they want to push for a UEFA Champions League place for next season, especially with Howe and Mendes both on board.

Hailed as a ‘world class‘ player by Atletico chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin, Felix showed that he is capable of producing on the big stage at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, scoring one goal and supplying two assists in four starts (Transfermarkt), before Portugal were knocked out by Morocco in the quarter-finals.

At senior club level, he also has 54 goals and 29 assists combined for both Benfica and Atletico (Transfermarkt), and at just 23 years of age, still has a very high ceiling.

Nonetheless, given Alexander Isak's latest injury, and the fact that Callum Wilson has struggled for fitness over the years, Felix would provide excellent cover in attacking areas for the Magpies, as they look to cement their lofty place in the Premier League table.