Courted since last summer by PSG, Portuguese central defender Tomas Araujo is heading towards a contract extension at Benfica, with an increase in the amount of his release clause.
PSG is not preparing a revolution for the winter transfer window, but intends to remain on the lookout for possible market opportunities, as Nasser Al-Khelaïfi repeated this Tuesday in an interview with Sky Germany during which he also denied an interest in Mohamed Salah and supported Luis Enrique and the club's new project.
According to several consistent reports from the French press, PSG is considering recruiting a left winger this winter to provide competition for Bradley Barcola. The club would also be on the lookout for an opportunity at the right central defender position, both to prepare for the future and to replace Milan Skriniar in the short term, likely to leave PSG in January.
And according to French media, PSG is targeting a young, but already experienced, right winger. A profile that perfectly matches Tomas Araujoa 22-year-old Portuguese neo-international, who established himself this season in the starting lineup for SL Benfica. A player renowned for the quality of his recovery and whom PSG had already tried to recruit last summer, in vain.
Soon a €100 million clause for Tomas Araujo
Extended in July 2023 until 2028 by the Lisbon club, Tomas Araujo was supposed to have a release clause set at 100 million euros. According to several Portuguese media (Record and A Bola in particular), the player's current clause is in reality “only” 80 million euros, but will soon increase to 100 million.
Author of a big start to the season, Tomas Araujo is in the process of extending his contract by one year, until 2029, with an increase in his release clause, but also in his salary, one of the most currently at Benfica. Enough to further reduce the chances of seeing him leave Lisbon this winter.
In recent days, the Portuguese press had already explained that Benfica absolutely wanted to keep Araujo this winter and was instead counting on a departure in January of its central defender Antonio Silva (21), who became a replacement and pleased him at Juventus Turin. With Araujo's extension announced as imminent by the local media, there is little chance of seeing him sign in Paris in January.
