United now want to sign 22yo Chelsea target, £66m deal can be agreed in January – report

Manchester United are considering a move for Benfica centre-back Tomás Araújo.

According to Portuguese news outlet A Bola, the Red Devils are in the race to sign the 22-year-old alongside Chelsea and Crystal Palace.

Crystal Palace attempted to sign the Portugal international last summer, but their advances were rejected by Benfica.

Benfica are not ready to lose Araújo, at least in the January transfer window, except if his £66 million is triggered by any of the clubs interested in his signature.

Araújo has been a mainstay in Benefica’s defence this season starting 14 games across all competitions.

Therefore, it is unsurprising that the Portuguese giants are reluctant to lose him and want to extend his stay at the club.

He has four years left on his current club but the 38-time Primeira Liga are not losing sleep over the possibility of the centre-back being lured away from the club.

Manchester United need defensive additions but is Araújo the answer?

Manchester United are conceding a goal per game in the Premier League this season, having conceded 13 goals in 13 games.

Despite the arrival of Ruben Amorim, the Red Devils have continued to show defensive vulnerabilities.

They have kept only one clean sheet in the first three games under Amorim and that was against a low-scoring Everton side who has scored just 10 goals in 13 games.

But the question is whether Araújo will be an upgrade on the current centre-back options at Old Trafford at the moment.

The Benfica centre-back has won 68.8% of his tackles in Liga Portugal this season, more than Mattis de Ligt, Jonny Evans, Noussair Mazraoui, and Lisandro Martinez have managed in the Premier League.

Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof are the only players to have played at centre-tackles this season, with more tackles won than the Portuguese, though the duo have contested fewer tackles.

Mazraoui(55) and Martinez(46) are the only players with more defensive contributions, that is, tackles and interceptions combined, than Araújo, but they have played more games than the latter.

Araújo has made more recoveries(58) than his Manchester United counterparts except Mazraoui, who boasts of the same tally.

Only Evans(72.7%) and Mazraoui(72.4%) have won more aerial duels than the Benfica centre-back, who has won 69.7% of his aerial challenges.

Undoubtedly, Araújo is a talented defender based on the foregoing statistics but it must be noted that he plays in an inferior league to the Premier League.

However, Rúben Dias moved from Benfica to Manchester City to become one of the finest Premier League centre-backs. Araújo may also follow in the footsteps of his countryman if United win the battle for his signature.

Stats from transfermarkt.com and fbref.com

Article written by Henry Thornton .

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