Spurs to battle Arsenal and Chelsea for Portuguese central defender
By Tom Vinall
According to the publication CaughtOffside, Tottenham Hotspur are ready to battle with Arsenal and Chelsea to secure the services of Benfica's central defender Tomas Araujo.
They state that after some impressive performances for Benfica, the defender has caught the eye of "several" European clubs, and the aforementioned three sides all sent scouts to watch recent games against Boavista and Gil Vicente, with the reports "hugely positive", highlighting the defenders defensive ability and composure.
Furthermore, they add that Arajuo is valued by the Portuguese giants at around 20 million Euros, which equates to a little over 16 million pounds, making him a cut price option for Premier League sides.
However, it is unclear whether or not Benfica are willing to let the defender go in January, and by the time the summer comes around, should he continue to impress - his value may have sky rocketed.
In his first Champions League appearance of the season, Arajuo helped Benfica to a clean sheet in a statement 4-0 victory over Atletico Madrid on matchday two.
Araujo is a Portuguese U21 international, totaling 8 caps so far. Owing to his good form for Benfica, there have been calls for him to be called up to the senior team, particularly with the Pepe shaped hole that has been left in the centre of their defence.
Benfica have sold many players to the Premier League in recent years, including the likes of Ederson, Ruben Dias, Raul Jimenez, Enzo Fernandez and Darwin Nunez, amongst others. The success rate is certinaly up for debate, but there is no denying that there are a lot of talents in their domestic league.
The defender stands at 6'2 tall, and is seen as a dominant defender - winning over seven duels per game in the league so far this season. He won 3/4 ground duels against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, whilst facing the likes of Antoine Griezmann and Julian Alvarez.