According to Portuguese outlet Record, Arsenal have established contact with Sporting Lisbon left-back Maxi Araujo, who is also on the radar of Manchester City this summer.
The Gunners are likely to go on another spending spree at the end of the season and Record claim that they have their sights on landing a new left-back for manager Mikel Arteta. Araujo stood out against the Gunners during the Champions League quarter-final ties recently and Arteta is said to have been impressed by his performances.
Arsenal have gone to the extent of holding talks with the player through his representative but they face competition from title chasers Man City. The left-back has a release clause worth £80 million in his contract, but could be prised away for a package of £52 million at the end of the campaign, according to Record’s update on the 26-year-old.
Unlikely deal
Araujo was tremendous during the double-legged quarter-final tie. He was guilty of making plenty of tactical fouls, but got the better of Noni Madueke and Max Dowman on several occasions. In the first leg in Lisbon, the left-back won 10 duels and 7 tackles against the Gunners.
He is certainly a player enjoying the prime of his career at Sporting and may want to pursue a bigger challenge in the Premier League this summer. Still, we don’t believe Arsenal will make a huge outlay on the talented full-back unless they part ways with two players in the role.
The north London heavyweights presently have Riccardo Calafiori, Piero Hincapie and Myles Lewis-Skelly fighting for the left-back position. Calafiori begun the season as the outright choice in the league, but Hincapie has overtaken him for the spot in recent months.
Lewis-Skelly has been the one with limited playing time over the entire campaign and there is talk that he could be offloaded. Still, Arsenal have two solid options in Calafiori and Hincapie. The latter arrived on loan with an option to buy which is expected to be triggered.
Hence, we don’t the possibility of Arsenal paying £52 million for another left-back solution. The Gunners must focus on attacking recruits ahead of next season. A marquee left winger and a striker could be prioritised instead for the summer transfer window.
