As the summer transfer window neared its end, Paris Saint-Germain made a last-ditch effort to bolster their defense.
In August,L’Équipe’s Loïc Tanzi revealed that PSG had offered Tomás Araújo a €5 million annual contract but was waiting to sell a center-back before finalizing the deal.
At the same time,transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reported that Chelsea had Araújo on their radar as a potential target should theydecide to offload a defender in thefinal days of the window. Although Chelsea had not made an official bid, they saw Araújo as an exciting prospect.
Both PSG and Chelsea showed interest in the 22-year-old, but Benfica had no intention of selling. Romano also mentioned that the Portuguese club ultimately chose to keep Araújo, havingalready sold several players earlier in the summer.
Tomás Araújo extends stay at SL Benfica despite PSG links
Tomas Araujo
FILIPE AMORIM/AFP via Getty Images
On Tuesday, Romano shared that Araujo’s new contract with Benfica, which runsuntil June 2029, includes a release clause set at €80 million. Chelsea and PSGboth showed interest in him last summer, while Crystal Palace made two offers, but Benfica was never willing to sell.
🚨🦅 Tomás Araujo’s new contract at Benfica until June 2029 includes a release clause worth €80m.
Chelsea and PSG both considered Araújo last summer, Crystal Palace sent two bids… but Benfica never wanted to sell him. pic.twitter.com/2Bf914CAq5
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 17, 2024
Last month,CaughtOffside reported that Chelsea are eyeing two young defenders from Benfica—Antonio Silva and Araújo—to bolster their backline.