Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham will all have to wait until after the World Cup. Only then will they learn whether Maxi Araújo will become a realistic transfer target this summer.
The Sporting player continues to attract attention from across Europe. However, the Portuguese club are already preparing their next move to keep him in Lisbon.
According to Record, meetings with the Uruguay international’s representatives have been scheduled for after the tournament. Sporting are planning a direct discussion about his future.
Interestingly, the list of interested clubs has shifted slightly in the Portuguese press. While Arsenal were mentioned in previous reports around Araújo, Record instead include Tottenham among the sides monitoring his situation. They are monitoring alongside Manchester United and Chelsea.
World Cup is key moment
Sporting know the next few weeks have the potential to reshape the market around the 26-year-old.
Araújo is part of Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay squad. The club are aware that a strong World Cup would generate even greater interest from abroad.
Record report Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham are among the clubs monitoring his situation, alongside Atlético Madrid.
Sporting are ready to reassess the situation once Araújo returns from international duty, by which point the level of interest around him should look very different.
Salary increase prepared as part of plan
Record provide further detail on the strategy Sporting intend to present. The report states that Araújo currently earns between €650,000 (£560,000) and €700,000 (£605,000) net per year.
Sporting are prepared to improve those terms. They could potentially move him into the group of the club’s highest-paid players.
Sporting view the former Toluca player as an essential part of Rui Borges’ plans. They believe financial recognition should accompany the role he now holds within the squad.
PL trio face clear stance
The Portuguese club are not hiding their position. Sporting remain prepared to negotiate only for figures close to Araújo’s €80m (£69m) release clause.
That stance has been reported previously, but Record again stress that the club see him as one of their most important assets heading into next season.
For Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham, that creates a difficult balance. All three clubs can continue monitoring the player. Meanwhile, Sporting are trying to ensure any conversation starts from a position of strength.
The planned meetings with his representatives are part of that effort.
What happens next + Exclusive info
Maxi Araujo
Maxi Araujo
The World Cup is sure to be the decisive stage in this story. Sporting want Araújo to stay, are preparing improved terms and have already lined up talks with his camp.
Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham, meanwhile, will continue watching closely to see whether the tournament creates an opportunity – or simply pushes his value even higher.
For now, the Portuguese side are trying to get ahead of the market before it fully takes shape.
Sport Witness have been informed by sources familiar with the situation that there’s no renewal talks taking place.