£86m forward snubbed by Chelsea offered to Newcastle United by reputable agent

Newcastle United have reportedly been offered the chance to sign Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix, either on loan or on a permanent transfer.

The Portuguese international is searching for another route out of Spain this summer after his relationship with Atletico boss Diego Simeone became strained last year.

Felix was hoping to earn a permanent move to Chelsea after spending the second half of last season on loan, however new manager Mauricio Pochettino passed up the buyout option.

As it stands, the 23-year-old will return to pre-season with Atletico later this month but the player’s agent Jorge Mendes is actively exploring potential suitors.

And according to Spanish outlet MARCA, Newcastle are among the clubs to have been contacted by Mendes, who also represents the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Bernando Silva and Ruben Neves.

It’s claimed Atletico are asking for £86m to offload Felix permanently, or £13m to loan him out for the entirety of the 2023-24 season.

Atletico bought Felix from Benfica in 2019 for a club-record £113m and in 131 appearances, the forward has 34 goals and provided 18 assists.

Felix lifted the La Liga title in 2020-21 and was crowned the club’s Player of the Year the season after. However, during the recent campaign, his relationship with Simeone broke down.

As a result, the player was loaned to Chelsea, where he scored four goals in 16 Premier League appearances.

Felix’s next destination is yet to be decided, although it’s unlikely to be St James’ Park. The finances involved are extortionate and Newcastle would rather focus their attention on less high -rofile players to fill priority positions such as central midfield, centre-back and central midfield.