Manchester United and Arsenal locked in transfer battle for £70m defender | OneFootball

Manchester United continue to be linked with a move for the Sporting CP defender Maxi Araujo.

The 26-year-old is a target for Arsenal as well, and the two Premier League clubs have already made enquiries about the player, according to reports via SportWitness. It will be interesting to see if they follow up on their interest with an official offer to sign the player.

He has a £70 million release clause in his contract, and it would be quite surprising if Manchester United or Arsenal decided to pay that kind of money for the left-back. There is no doubt that he is a quality player, and he has shown his ability at the club and country levels. However, they will look to sign him for a more reasonable fee.

Manchester United need a quality long-term replacement for Luke Shaw, and Araujo would be a superb acquisition. He is at the peak of his career, and this is the right time for him to take on a new challenge and join a big club.

On the other hand, Arsenal could use a specialist left back who can contribute at both ends of the pitch. The 26-year-old will help on defence and create opportunities for his teammates going forward as well. He could add a new dimension to the Arsenal attack. Araujo has 12 goal contributions this season.

The Portuguese club will have to be reasonable in their demands for the move to go through. It remains to be seen where Araujo ends up. If they can sign him for a reasonable amount of money, a 26-year-old defender could prove to be an asset for both clubs.