Cristiano Ronaldo’s agent set to visit UK for Newcastle United and Aston Villa transfer talks

Newcastle United and Aston Villa are reportedly preparing for transfer talks with agent Jorge Mendes over a possible move for Portugal star Joao Felix.

The Atletico Madrid playmaker is expected to leave the La Liga club next month after he was said to have fallen out with manager Diego Simeone ahead of the World Cup break. The former Benfica star has still scored four goals and provided three assists in 18 appearances in all competitions for Atleti - but his time with the club could come to an end after Spanish outlet AS revealed they were willing to accept an offer of around £86m for the attacking midfielder.

The Sunday Mirror have added to the speculation by suggesting Newcastle and Villa were ‘surprise contenders’ to conclude a deal when the transfer window reopens in January. The report also states Mendes - who also represents Cristiano Ronaldo - is set to fly into the UK to hold face-to-face talks over his client’s future.

Previous discussions are said to have been held with Chelsea and Manchester United and it is believed they remain keen on a possible deal to bring Felix to the Premier League, with Newcastle and Villa’s chances of securing an ambitious deal being hampered by the fact they can not offer European football at this point in time.

Felix has offered little insight into his future and refused to be drawn on what could lie ahead during a recent press conference. Speaking during the World Cup, he said: "I am focused on the World Cup. 100 percent on the World Cup and having a great World Cup. We are thinking of having a great tournament and (focused) on the Portuguese. I will talk about Atletico when the World Cup is over."

Felix appeared in all but one of Portugal’s World Cup fixtures and played in their surprise quarter-final exit at the hands of Morocco at the weekend.