Monaco star Fabinho holds Atletico Madrid talks amid Manchester United links

Monaco star Fabinho Tavares and his agent Jorge Mendes have met with Atletico Madrid regarding a move to the Spanish capital. Manchester City and Manchester United had been linked with the former Real Madrid starlet in recent times but AS says that he could eventually move to Diego Simeone's side to fill the gap left by the retirement of Tiago Mendes.

Fabinho was linked with United last summer with Jose Mourinho being the manager who handed him his first-team debut at Real Madrid back in 2013.

The 23-year-old midfielder stayed at Monaco and became into one of the sensations of the season at the Ligue 1 champions, scoring 12 goals and providing six assists.

His future under Leonardo Jardim has been uncertain since February when his father revealed that they had held talks with United, City and Arsenal ahead of making a summer move to the Premier League.

Reports in Spain last month revealed that Atletico had joined the race to secure his services after Simeone had earmarked him as a priority signing.

However, last week Marca claimed that United had emerged as the frontrunners to secure his services after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld the Spanish capital club's appeal against their transfer ban.

But AS suggests that Los Colchoneros have not given up completely on the chase, with Fabinho and Mendes being spotted with Atletico chief executive Miguel Ángel Gil Marín in a Madrid restaurant on Tuesday [13 June] night.

Atletico cannot sign any new players but AS suggest that the Brazilian could stay with the Ligue 1 side until January and then make the move to the Calderon ahead of the second part of the season.

The meeting with Atletico Madrid come amid reports in Manchester Evening News saying that Mourinho has ruled out signing the ex-Real player after turning his attention to Chelsea's Nemanja Matic and Tottenham's Eric Dier.