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Arsenal 'take the lead' in the race to sign Atletico Madrid outcast Joao Felix... as old team-mate Thomas Partey 'contacts the Portuguese star to convince him to join the Gunners' amid Manchester United interest

Thomas Partey has made contact with Joao Felix in an effort to lure the Atletico Madrid outcast to Arsenal rather than Manchester United, according to reports.

Atletico's record £114million signing is expected to leave the LaLiga outfit in January after falling out of favour with head coach Diego Simeone, chalking up just 10 starts across all competitions this season.

Manchester United held talks with the Spanish club last week in a bid to sign the Portuguese forward on loan following Cristiano Ronaldo's acrimonious exit from Old Trafford in November, although negotiations have since stalled with Atletico demanding a hefty loan fee of £13.