Manchester United and Chelsea have both been linked with Maxi Araújo this summer. However, Sporting have now received another public reminder. Prising the Uruguay international away from Lisbon will be anything but straightforward.
The latest comments come from one of the player’s own representatives. He admits only a handful of clubs in world football are realistically capable of completing a deal.
Speaking to Uruguayan outlet El Espectador Deportes, agent Martín Rodríguez Nader made it clear Sporting hold all the cards.
Agent admits Sporting are in complete control
“When a player stands out at Sporting, it’s not easy to take him away from there,” Rodríguez Nader said.
“That’s the case with Maxi Araújo. Sporting have a lot of money and they don’t sell cheaply.”
The agent believes the market for his client is naturally limited because of Sporting’s demands.
“There are only 20 or 30 clubs in the world who can reach him – some Premier League teams and two or three of the biggest clubs from the other major leagues.”
Well, the Portuguese club have repeatedly shown little desire to negotiate from a position of weakness and have already indicated they value Araújo among their most important assets.
But despite acknowledging Sporting’s negotiating strength, Rodríguez Nader also suggested the long-term destination is already quite clear.
“It’s difficult for Maxi to end up at a club that isn’t one of those because of what he’s looking for,” he said.
In other words, while Sporting may succeed in resisting approaches this summer, the expectation inside the player’s camp is still that his next move will be to one of European football’s elite clubs.
United and Chelsea remain in the frame
While relaying those comments, Portuguese Record again identifies Manchester United and Chelsea as two of the English clubs interested in the 26-year-old.
Araújo’s stock has continued to rise after contributing two goals and one assist during Uruguay’s World Cup campaign. Even though Marcelo Bielsa’s side were eliminated in the group stage, his profile improved. Manchester United even had a representative watching him live.
With a contract running until 2029 and an €80m (£68m) release clause, Sporting are under little pressure to compromise.
For Manchester United and Chelsea, the message from Araújo’s representative is straightforward: if they want the Uruguayan, they should expect Sporting to make the deal as difficult – and as expensive – as possible.