Report: Juventus impressed with versatile Sporting Club left-back | OneFootball

Uruguayan full-back Maxi Araujo has won the favour of both Juventus head coach Luciano Spalletti and the club’s sporting director, Marco Ottolini.

The Montevideo native began his career at the academy of Wanderers in his home country before moving to Mexico, where he had experiences at Puebla and Toluca between 2020 and 2024.

The 26-year-old joined Sporting Club in the summer of 2024 for circa €13 million, and has now established himself as a protagonist at the club.

Maxi Araujo attracts Juventus interest

On Tuesday, Araujo started for Uruguay in an international friendly against Algeria held at the Allianz Stadium in Turin.

Juventus were heavily represented in the stands, with club president Gianluca Ferrero attending the contest, alongside Ottolini, who took the opportunity to monitor several players, including Manchester United midfielder Manuel Ugarte.

While the contest ended goalless, Tuttosport claims that the Juventus sporting director was impressed with what he saw from Maxi Araujo.

The source adds that the Uruguay international had already made an impression on Spalletti when the Bianconeri hosted Sporting in a Champions League group stage contest on November 4.

Araujo opened the scoring for the Portuguese giants, but Dusan Vlahovic rescued a point for the home side. However, the report insists that the Juventus manager wasn’t only impressed by the goal but also by the player’s general performance.

Araujo’s playing role & market value

On Tuesday, Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa fielded Araujo as a left winger in his 4-4-1-1 system, with Napoli’s Mathias Olivera playing behind him on the same flank.

Nevertheless, Araujo mostly plays at left-back for Sporting, and is only occasionally moved higher up the field.

Therefore, the Turin-based newspaper believes the Uruguayan could be a potential replacement for Andrea Cambiaso if he ends up leaving Juventus in the summer.

Araujo contributed with six goals and four assists in his 35 appearances this season. Transfermarkt estimates his current value at €25 million.