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Manchester United urged to beat Chelsea to signing of £85 million described as the "Portuguese Gerard Pique"

Barnaby Lane

Updated: Dec 11, 2024

Tomas Araujo.
Tomas Araujo. (Deposit Photos)

Manchester United have been urged by a renowned Portuguese reporter to beat Chelsea to the signing of Benfica centre-back Tomas Araujo.


The 22-year-old has been on Chelsea's radar for some time now, with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano confirming back in September that the Blues were admirers of the defender and had been monitoring his progress at the Estadio da Luz.


Crystal Palace and Paris Saint-Germain are also understood to be keen on the player, with the Eagles having tried and failed to land him in the summer.


Following the recent appointment of former Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim as United's new head coach, Araujo has now emerged as a target for the Red Devils.


According to The Sun, Amorim is a big fan of the Benfica star and is ready to push to sign him in January amid a spate of injuries to his current crop of defenders.


Ruben Amorim.
Ruben Amorim. (Shutterstock)

Speaking on Portuguese TV show Record na Hora, journalist Rafael Soares encouraged United to try and sign Araujo, who he thinks would be a good fit for Amorim's style of play.


“In the case of Tomas Araujo, and I’m very curious to see him in a three-central system, something that doesn’t happen at Benfica, due to all the quality he has on the ball, in addition to what he’s grown defensively," said Soares.


"I think he could very well fit in in a system of three Ruben Amorim plays," he added.


Araujo compared to Gerard Pique


Amid the growing interest in Araujo, last week, newspaper Mundo Deportivo wrote an extensive analysis of the young defender.


In the piece, the publication likened the Benfica star to former FC Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, describing him as "the latest great defender to emerge from Benfica's youth ranks."


Benfica has been responsible for producing a number of world class defenders over the years, including Manchester City star Ruben Dias and his former City teammate Joao Cancelo.


"Tomas Araujo is a modern defender, with solid build-up play and the ability to defend the area, while also possessing good anticipation and ball control," Mundo Deportivo wrote. "He plays as if he has spent a lifetime behind the backline of a super-elite team."


Gerard Pique.
Gerard Pique. (Deposit Photos)

Araujo, who has a release clause of £85 million, has started all but two of Benfica's 12 games in the Primeira Liga this season, and, as he did last season, has impressed with his solid displays at the heart of the Eagles' defence.


According to FBref, over the last year, Araujo ranks in the 98th percentile for successful take-ons, 95th percentile for progressive passes, and 93rd percentile for tackles when compared to his positional peers across Europe.


Due to his good form, last month, he was handed his Portugal debut by head coach Roberto Martinez.

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