Manchester City may have to offload star striker to sign Portuguese ace: A wise move?

Portuguese attacker Joao Felix, who has had a phenomenal debut season with Benfica, is attracting interest from Manchester City.

Manchester City seem to have already got their summer transfer business up and running, as the current Premier League champions are set to secure a deal to bring Portuguese sensation Bruno Fernandes to the Etihad.

The Sky Blues are one among many clubs who are said to be interested in Felix, but Portuguese outlet A Bola have claimed that City will pursue the teenager only if they can sell Gabriel Jesus to free up funds.

Felix has an eye-watering €120 million release clause, which Benfica are adamantly sticking by for any potential suitors of Felix. City may offer a transfer, a player exchange, as well as future fees to secure the signing of the youngster.

Jesus, meanwhile, has been a bit-part player for Manchester City this season, featuring heavily in Cup games, while Sergio Aguero has been City’s main man in the Champions League and Premier League.

Does selling Jesus to sign Felix make sense?

Gabriel Jesus, at 22 years of age, has serious potential to be a top Premier League striker, but the only person standing in his way is Manchester City club record goalscorer and City legend Sergio Aguero, who has been in sensational form once again, scoring 31 goals in all competitions.

Since signing for City in 2016 for a few of around £27 million, Jesus has had solid campaigns, with 17 and 19 goals in last season and this season, respectively – numbers which would guarantee a future in any club.

However, Joao Felix has shown the potential to be a world-class player, someone who could rival the best players in the world.

Felix started off as an attacking midfielder, but has been moved up to the top and has delivered as a striker, in a season where he has scored 18 goals in all competitions, including a phenomenal hat-trick against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League.

Aguero still has a couple of years left in him to be a top striker at the club, which would mean that usurping him would be a difficult task. But Felix can operate as a second striker or out wide, giving Pep Guardiola many options to use him, if City do sign the Portuguese starlet.