Last week, we covered claims from Portugal which made it clear Crystal Palace had been knocked back, and would knocked back if they tried again, for Tomás Araújo.
Benfica manager Roger Schmidt insisted that the defender would “100%” be staying with the Lisbon club beyond the end of the current transfer window.
Well, after knocking away Crystal Palace interest, Schmidt may have another headache appearing on the horizon, and again it comes from London.
Portugal’s Mais Futebol report Chelsea have burst in for the defender, are moving strongly, and the Blues are ‘offering €40m’ for Araújo.
That’s €10m more than Crystal Palace were said to be willing to pay for the 22-year-old. Should the claim of the Chelsea offer be correct then it presents a difficult situation for Benfica, and especially relating to their manager.
Schmidt obviously wants to keep the youngster, has said he isn’t going anywhere, but €40m looks like a really good offer given Araújo’s lack of experience.
One to keep an eye on over the next couple of days.