With Joachim Andersen seemingly on his way to Fulham, Crystal Palace have reportedly turned their attention towards a late replacement, even submitting an opening offer.
Crystal Palace transfer news
After losing Michael Olise to Bayern Munich earlier this summer, it looked as though Palace were on course to keep hold of the rest of their stars, but late rumours could yet leave Oliver Glasner scrambling for options. According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Fulham have reached an agreement to sign Andersen in a deal worth £30m which will see the defender return to Craven Cottage four years on from leaving.
Meanwhile, Newcastle United are still chasing Marc Guehi's signature, with their most recent offer reportedly reaching the £65m mark, only to be rejected by those at Selhurst Park. In the final days of the window, there's every chance that Palace could lose their starting centre-back partnership, which has resulted in chairman Steve Parish and sporting director Dougie Freedman turning their attention to additions.
According to TEAMtalk, Crystal Palace have tabled an opening offer to sign Tomas Araujo, but have already seen their bid rejected by Benfica for the 22-year-old centre-back. Araujo is reportedly a top target for the Eagles, but it remains to be seen just how much their first offer was and whether they go back to negotiations with a second bid.
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Palace may soon have the money spare to sign such talents if both Andersen and Guehi depart this summer. With just over a week until the summer transfer window slams shut, however, any business will need to accelerate quickly in the coming days.
"Great" Araujo is ready for Premier League move
Whilst his ability to start for a side in Europe's top six leagues could have been questioned last season as he struggled to become a starter for Benfica, the same questions cannot be asked of Araujo this time around.
The 22-year-old has started both of Benfica's opening two games in Liga Portugal, with one shock defeat against Famalicao and one comfortable victory over Casa Pia in that time. It's a rise that Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig saw on the cards, having praised Araujo in his loan spell at Gil Vincente in the 2022/23 campaign, describing the defender's spell there as "great".
Potentially left with a decision to make in the final days of the summer window, Araujo could quickly emerge to become an ideal replacement for Andersen who could realise his potential in the Premier League.