Associated Press

Manchester United have reportedly "stepped up their pursuit" of Portuguese stars Joao Felix and Bruno Fernandes, hoping to bring them both to Old Trafford for a combined fee of £150 million.

Per James Robson of the Evening Standard, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants to sign as many as five players in the summer, and those two sit near the top of his list.

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Robson linked Benfica's Felix to Manchester City and Real Madrid, while the Sky Blues are also said to be eyeing Sporting CP's Fernandes.

Record (h/t Sport Witness' Lucas Sposito) previously reported Benfica's Ruben Dias is also a target for the Red Devils, but Juventus want both him and Felix.

The 19-year-old Felix has emerged as one of the top young talents in European football, courtesy of a phenomenal 2018-19 campaign. He has scored 13 goals and seven assists in the Portuguese league and added three more goals in the UEFA Europa League.

All three of those goals came in the 4-2 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-final first leg in April:

Benfica were eliminated from the tournament on away goals after losing 2-0 in the second leg, but Felix was on fire throughout last month in the Primeira Liga:

Per Robson, Felix is expected to net Benfica around £100 million. The 24-year-old Fernandes would be cheaper, at £50 million, but he could make a bigger immediate impact. He has bagged an incredible 16 goals and added 12 assists in the league this season, playing the bulk of his minutes in central midfield.

Robson said a lack of Champions League football next year could be a major obstacle toward signing the pair. With two Premier League matchdays still to play, United sit in sixth place in the standings, three points behind Chelsea and two behind Arsenal. The Red Devils have lost two of their last three league matches and finish the season against Huddersfield Town and Cardiff City.

But while a lack of Champions League football could hinder United's chances of landing the two, their financial strength is a major bonus.

Juventus have long been seen as the favourites for Felix, but A Bola reported they're not willing to trigger his full release clause:

United have done business with Benfica recently, signing Victor Lindelof in 2017.