Manchester City could be pipped to Portuguese starlet Joao Felix by Atletico Madrid.
Benfica's attacking midfielder Felix,19, is one of the most coveted prospects in world football with a £105million release clause.
English champions City are hot on the trail to bring Felix to the Premier League and pip rivals Manchester United to his signature.
But Felix's agent Jorge Mendes is understood to be pushing a move to La Liga giants Atletico to better aid the youngster's development.
Mendes feels playing regularly under Diego Simeone could be a smarter 'intermediate step' than the financial pull of England.
City are offering a staggering five-year deal worth around £100,000-a-week.
But Atletico will have the funds to buy Felix if Antoine Griezmann leaves as expected to either Barcelona or PSG.
The Madrid club have also sold defender Lucas Hernandez to Bayern Munich for £68m this summer.
Felix is in demand after a stunning breakthrough season and has gone on holiday to Ibiza to consider his future.
He won his first full international cap in last week's Nations League semi-final win over Switzerland but was an unused sub against Holland in the final.
The versatile forward also smashed 15 goals, plus nine assists, in his 21 league starts for Benfica and bagged a hat-trick a Europa League quarter-final against Eintracht Frankfurt.
City boss Pep Guardiola is an admirer with German international Leroy Sane, 23, stalling on a new deal at the Etihad amid interest from Bayern Munich.
Benfica president Luis Filipe Vieira has admitted that it will be very difficult to persuade Felix to stay at the club this summer with European giants circling.
