Chelsea and Real Madrid are interested in Benfica defender Tomas Araujo, according to a report.
The Portugal international has been on the radar of the Blues since last summer when he first emerged as a surprising target late in the window. Araujo has established himself as a reliable option at Benfica, and Chelsea have been keeping a close eye on him.
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In December, the West London outfit received some major encouragement that a deal would be possible in the future as Araujo signed a new Benfica contract, but with a reduced release clause.
His price was slashed from €100m to €80m. Still a very hefty sum, to be sure, but Chelsea previously paid a fee in that ballpark for Wesley Fofana, who could leave the club in the summer due to his repeated injury problems.
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Real Madrid enter Araujo race
However, it seems that Chelsea won’t have it all their own way if they wish to land Araujo in the upcoming window. According to CaughtOffside, Real Madrid are now also interested in the highly-rated defender.
Both clubs are likely to view Araujo as an alternative to Dean Huijsen, who is being chased by both clubs as well as Liverpool and Bayern. Chelsea were recently described as the favourites to sign him, but a move to the newly-minted Premier League champions could still hold major appeal.
As for Real Madrid, they have yet to make a firm decision on whether or not to actively pursue the signing of a centre-back in the summer. This has given other clubs a head start in the chase for Huijsen, and it could also be good news for Chelsea regarding Araujo.
However, it wouldn’t come as a shock if recent events tipped the balance in favour of signing a centre-back. Antonio Rudiger’s antics in Sunday’s Copa del Rey final could yet entail a lengthy ban, and he is also now facing a couple of months on the treatment table after undergoing meniscus surgery.
At 32, the German is not getting any younger, while David Alaba is reportedly on the chopping block this summer. Moreover, Eder Militao is recovering from his second ACL injury in as many seasons, so bolstering the backline would probably be a sensible move by Los Blancos.
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