THE LILYWWHITES HAVE HAD A STRONG SUMMER TRANSFER WINDOW UNDER NEW MANAGER THOMAS FRANK SO FAR WITH THE ARRIVAL OF YOUNG DEFENDER KOTA TAKAI, FORWARD MOHAMMED KUDUS AND THE IMMINENT ARRIVAL OF MIDFIELDER JOAO PALHINHA, WHILE MATHYS TEL AND KEVIN DANSO’S LOANS WERE MADE PERMANENT TOO.
THE CLUB HAVE ALSO BEEN ABLE TO KEEP HOLD OF KEY STAR CRISTIAN ROMERO DESPITE STRONG INTEREST FROM ATLETICO MADRID, AND NOW IT SEEMS THAT THEY ARE LOOKING TO PROVIDE HIM WITH SOME COMPETITION OR A NEW PARTNER. ARAUJO, WHO WAS DESCRIBED BY CARLES PUYOL AS “ONE OF THE BEST DEFENDERS IN THE WORLD”, HAS FALLEN DOWN THE PECKING ORDER AT THE CAMP NOU UNDER HANSI FLICK, WITH YOUNGSTER PAU CUBARSI NOW CONSIDERED TO BE THE FIRST-CHOICE CENTRE-BACK ALONGSIDE INIGO MARTINEZ OR ANDREAS CHRISTENSEN, WHILE JULES KOUNDE IS THE FIRST-CHOICE RIGHT-BACK. THAT HAS SEEN THE CLUB CONSIDER A SALE FOR THE 26-YEAR-OLD AS THEY LOOK TO RAISE FUNDS ONCE AGAIN THIS SUMMER, WITH THEIR FINANCIAL SITUATION STILL PRECARIOUS AFTER ANOTHER BUSY SUMMER TRANSFER WINDOW.
IT’S UNDERSTOOD THAT SPURS ARE LOOKING TO BOLSTER THE PHYSICAL PROFILE OF THEIR DEFENCE AND THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED ARAUJO AS A PERFECT FIT, AND THEIR INTEREST IN A DEAL IS CURRENTLY THE MOST SERIOUS OF ANYONE’S. BARCELONA ARE NOT IN A POSITION WHERE THEY HAVE TO SELL, BUT IF THE RIGHT OFFER COMES IN THEN THEY COULD BE OPEN TO A DEAL, AND IT’S BELIEVED THAT ARAUJO WOULD ALSO BE OPEN TO MOVING FOR MORE REGULAR FIRST-TEAM FOOTBALL FOR THE RIGHT CLUB.
SPURS ALREADY HAVE MICKY VAN DE VEN ALONGSIDE THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED ROMERO AND DANSO AS CENTRE-BACK OPTIONS, BUT ARAUJO HAS EXPERIENCE AT THE VERY HIGHEST LEVEL AND WOULD PROVIDE ADDED QUALITY TO A SQUAD LOOKING TO COMPETE IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE AND PREMIER LEAGUE THIS SEASON, WHICH MAKES THIS AN APPEALING MOVE FOR ALL PARTIES IF THE NUMBERS ARE RIGHT.
