Manchester United are turning up the heat on Sporting CP left-back Maxi Araujo after scouts watched him tear through the World Cup group stage for Uruguay. The 26-year-old has two goals and an assist through La Celeste’s first two games, even if the team itself has been frustrating to watch with a pair of draws against Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde.
The interest isn’t new. United had people in the stands for Araujo’s Champions League performances last season too, and what they saw then holds up now. He was arguably the best player on the pitch across both legs against Arsenal, which tends to quiet the “weak league” chatter that follows any Portuguese-based player linked to a Premier League move.
Where he fits at Old Trafford
The midfield rebuild is happening. United already have a £39 million deal in place for Atalanta’s Ederson and talks are active for West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes. Casemiro is gone and Manuel Ugarte hasn’t convinced as the long-term answer. But the left side of the pitch is getting attention too.
Michael Carrick has turned Patrick Dorgu into a winger, and the 21-year-old Dane has three goals in his last three starts from that spot. The feeling inside the club is Dorgu stays forward, which means they need a left-back to compete with Luke Shaw. Shaw stayed healthy all last season but there’s a real concern his body won’t hold up through a European schedule. So they’re looking for someone younger, more durable, with more attacking pop.
Lewis Hall at Newcastle is a target but the Magpies don’t want to sell to a direct rival. Nathaniel Brown picked Bayern Munich over United. Alejandro Balde wants to stay at Barcelona. That’s how Araujo jumped up the list.
What a deal might look like
Sporting CP aren’t eager to let him go. Araujo’s contract runs three more years with a £68 million release clause. But Portuguese outlet Record reports the club would open talks if an offer comes in around £51 million. United have the cash, according to the same report, and they’re described as “tightening their grip” on the situation.
INEOS made contact with Araujo’s representatives last month to feel things out. Chelsea and Tottenham are also in the picture, though Atletico Madrid have backed off. Sporting plan to open contract extension talks when Araujo gets back from North America, which is their standard play when a player starts drawing serious interest.
Araujo racked up seven goals and six assists for Sporting last season across all competitions and played a big role in their Champions League quarterfinal run. Marco Bielsa has been using him as a left winger at the World Cup, which tells you something about his attacking instincts. He’s aggressive, left-footed, and doesn’t shy from physical battles. If United can get this done around the £51 million mark, they’d be adding someone who can contribute at both ends of the field without needing years to adjust.
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