FC Bayern continues to work on its squad planning for the upcoming season. While the signings of Nathaniel Brown and Ismael Saibari are a priority, the Munich club is also keeping an eye on the transfer market for center backs. One potential candidate is Tomas Araujo of Benfica Lisbon. However, prominent competition from Spain now looms.
At first glance, the situation at FC Bayern seems clear: Before a new center back can be signed, players must first be sold.
Hiroki Ito and Min-jae Kim, in particular, are currently considered potential candidates for a sale. Both defenders have been repeatedly linked with a departure from Munich in recent weeks. However, there have been no concrete offers or advanced negotiations so far.
Nevertheless, those in charge at Säbener Straße are already exploring possible alternatives.
Araujo remains on Bayern’s radar
Among the names that have been mentioned repeatedly lately is Tomas Araujo of Benfica Lisbon. The Portuguese center-back is one of the most exciting defensive players of his generation and has established himself as a key player at Benfica in recent years.
Several media outlets have already linked the 23-year-old with FC Bayern. While there is currently no concrete lead pointing to Munich, interest is reportedly there.
As reported by the Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha, Real Madrid is now also taking a close interest in the defender.
What’s particularly interesting is that Real’s new coach, José Mourinho, knows Araujo from their time together at Benfica and is reportedly continuing to closely monitor his development.
The Royals are apparently planning additional reinforcements for their defense. Although Real is reportedly on the verge of signing Denzel Dumfries and Ibrahima Konaté, they continue to scout the market.
Araujo is among the players being discussed internally in Madrid.
€80 million release clause as a hurdle
However, a quick transfer currently seems unlikely. At Benfica, Araujo is considered a key part of the club’s future plans. Under coach Marco Silva, the center-back is expected to play a central role and become one of the team’s key players in the long term.
The Portuguese club’s stance is accordingly clear.
According to current reports, Benfica considers the defender unsellable. Should a club nevertheless make a serious bid, the situation is clearly defined. Araujo has a release clause of 80 million euros. Only by activating this clause could Benfica be forced to sell.
A sum that would represent a significant investment for both Real Madrid and FC Bayern.
From Munich’s perspective in particular, such a deal currently seems hardly realistic. Bayern continues to pursue a cautious transfer strategy and wants to generate revenue first before making major investments in the defensive sector.
Bayern must be patient
For Max Eberl and Christoph Freund, this means one thing above all: patience.
As long as the future of Kim and Ito remains unclear, Bayern will hardly be able to make concrete moves regarding potential center-back transfers.
Whether Tomas Araujo ultimately becomes a real option for the record champions therefore depends largely on how the personnel situation in Munich’s defense develops in the coming weeks.
One thing is certain, however: If Benfica sticks to its demand of 80 million euros, a transfer is likely to be a real challenge even for Europe’s wealthiest clubs.