Crystal Palace have made contact over the signing of an “elite” defender who has a £83 million release clause, according to a new report.
The Eagles’ three-game unbeaten run in all competitions ended over the weekend as they were beaten by Fulham at Selhurst Park. It is a result that leaves the south Londoners in the relegation zone as pressure continues to mount on Oliver Glasner.
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It has been a poor start to the campaign for Palace, and that has resulted in Glasner coming into the firing line. The Eagles appear keen to back the Austrian as he looks to turn this season around, with positive results against Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Wolves last week helping his cause.
However, there has been talk of David Moyes and Graham Potter being interested in the role should it become available. While they have also been linked with an ambitious move for Gareth Southgate, that appears very unlikely to happen at this stage.
Glasner will hope that Palace continue to back him as he tries to rectify their start to the season. Meanwhile, the Palace board already have their eyes on one player ahead of January, as they are plotting a move to sign Sunderland’s Chris Rigg – a player who is wanted by a host of top-flight teams.
Rigg is not the only player that has emerged on the Palace radar, as they are also keen on a defender who has a hefty release clause.
According to Portuguese outlet O Jogo, as relayed by Sport Witness, Crystal Palace have made contact with Benfica over the signing of Tomas Araujo. The 22-year-old has been with the Primeira Liga giants since July 2016, but didn’t become a mainstay in the first team until last season.
Araujo played 20 times in all competitions for Benfica last season and has now established himself as a firm part of the starting XI, as he’s started 8 of the side’s 10 league games he has been available for this season, as well as starting three Champions League games.
This report states that Araujo not only has interest from Palace, but also from Chelsea and Newcastle United. The centre-back has a release clause of €100m, which is roughly £83 million.
That is a very high price, especially for a team like Palace, but it is believed that the interested parties would be able to negotiate a lower fee ahead of a summer transfer.
There hasn’t been anything concrete yet, so the race to sign Araujo remains very much open. But when summer does arrive, Chelsea and Newcastle will hope they can offer something Palace can’t in the form of European football. The defender is currently playing in the Champions League, so it may be considered unlikely that he will look to give it up easily.
