Man Utd Join Chelsea And Spurs In Making First ‘Contacts’ To Sign £69M Rated Fullback Who Could Replace Shaw

BACK David Tully May 11th 2026 This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. Man Utd are among the clubs who have made “exploratory contacts” about signing Sporting Lisbon left-back Maxi Araujo, according to reports in the Portuguese media. A BOLA claim that the Red Devils, Chelsea and Tottenham have joined Atletico Madrid and Juventus in pursuing the Uruguayan international ahead of the summer transfer window. Araujo has an €80m (£69m) release clause in his contract, and due to the sheer amount of interest in the player, Sporting are minded to hold out for that fee. However, a lot depends on how many teams actually make formal approaches for the 26-year-old at the end of the season. Currently, only enquiries have been lodged. Why are Man Utd interested in the defender? Director of Football Jason Wilcox has made signing a left-back one of his three priorities for the summer, along with a central midfielder and a left winger. Araujo could be a solution for two positions. He would provide stiff competition for Luke Shaw, having played most of his minutes on the left side of a back four for Sporting this campaign. However, the Uruguayan can also be deployed further up the pitch as a winger, much like Patrick Dorgu, so his positional flexibility makes him an attractive target. Buy Man Utd tickets from Viagogo here Another club is the favourite to sign Araujo A BOLA report that Atletico are currently “ahead in the race” for the player, with the La Liga side’s manager, Diego Simeone, said to be a big fan, but a lot will hinge on who is able to agree a transfer fee with Sporting. Considering what Araujo could offer United, in terms of his ability to play multiple roles, this is definitely a transfer story to keep a close eye on over the coming days and weeks. Want more news on Man Utd? Add Man U News as a preferred source on Google David Tully David has worked as a football reporter for the last fifteen years. Having started as an intern at Snack Media, he then went on to become a freelancer, working on various different sites. At the start of 2023, he took up his current role as content writer for the Football News Network.