Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has reportedly urged Joao Felix to move to the Emirates Stadium from Atletico Madrid.
The 23-year-old appears to have fallen down the pecking order under head coach Diego Simeone having started only six times in La Liga so far this season.
Felix impressed on international duty with Portugal at the 2022 World Cup, scoring once and providing two assist in four matches, but the attacker is believed to be open to a fresh challenge away from the Wanda Metropolitano.
Premier league trio Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea have all been linked with Felix, and the former two are said to have formally registered their interest in signing the attacker this month.
According to The Athletic, Gunners lynchpin Partey has been in contact with Felix in an attempt to convince him to join Mikel Arteta's side.
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Partey, 29, spent eight years with Atletico and briefly played alongside Felix before joining Arsenal in October 2020.
The report adds that Felix's agent Jorge Mendes has made contact with a number of English clubs over a proposed loan deal for his client in the winter window.
However, Atletico's €21m (£18.5m) loan package – including a €15m (£13.2m) loan fee on top of his wages – is a major stumbling block for interested teams.
'Influential figures' at Arsenal are said to be admirers of Felix and believe that he would be an ideal addition to Arteta's squad, particularly if they can acquire his services on an initial loan deal.
Indeed, the Gunners see the potential arrival of Felix on a temporary deal as a similar move to that of Martin Odegaard when he joined the club from Real Madrid on loan in January 2021 before signing permanently the following summer.
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Felix arrived in the Spanish capital from Benfica for a club-record £114m in the summer of 2019, and he has since recorded 34 goals and 18 assists in 130 appearances across all competitions.
Simeone recently hinted that Felix could be on the move in the near future, stating that "no one is indispensable" at the club.
Speaking to reporters at the end of last month, the Argentine boss said: "No one is indispensable and things will be as they have to be.
"It is very important for us. He has had a good World Cup, he participated in goals with the importance that the coach gave him.
"Hopefully we can have the best Joao who he saw himself in the World Cup. Hopefully we also give him that peace of mind and joy to show in the game all that was seen in the World Cup."
Felix, who has also been linked with Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, will be in contention to play for Atletico when they face Oviedo in the last 32 of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday night.
Oliver Thomas
