Tuesday’s edition of O Jogo has an article covering a couple of potential Benfica exits in the coming windows. The Lisbon club don’t want to lose key players in January but are already looking ahead to next summer.
Álvaro Carreras and Tomás Araújo are the pair named. Manchester United have a €20m buyback clause for the former but it’s an open battle for the latter.
O Jogo report Crystal Palace and Chelsea have already been in contact over potentially signing the central defender. However, they make it clear that Newcastle United, who it appears have joined the race later, can beat both the London clubs and move forward.
Araújo has a €100m release clause with Benfica, but it’s likely Crystal Palace, Chelsea or Newcastle United would be able to negotiate that figure lower for a summer move.
Everything feels in the initial stages for now, so it’s a matter of waiting to see who makes the biggest effort in the coming months.