Every Crystal Palace fan will be hoping that Marc Guehi will still be plying his trade at Selhurst Park when the transfer window closes on Friday night.
The 24-year-old has had a massive rise since his £20m move to the club back in the summer of 2021, making over 100 appearances, featuring for the England national side and even captaining Oliver Glasner’s side.
However, his excellent form in South London hasn’t gone unnoticed, with Newcastle United making various different bids for the centre-back, with the Eagles valuing the defender at around the £75m mark.
With just over two days remaining in the window, it remains to be seen if he will make the move to Tyneside or remain at the club until January at the very least.
Regardless, Glasner is trying to bolster his defensive unit after Joachim Andersen’s move to Fulham, with progress being made on one deal in particular.
Crystal Palace to make another bid for defensive ace
According to Football Insider, Crystal Palace are preparing another bid to sign Benfica’s talented centre-back Tomas Araujo.
The 22-year-old Portuguese sensation has started all three of his side’s opening games in Liga Portugal during 2024/25, reflecting his importance to Roger Schmidt’s side.
The report states that the Eagles have previously had a €30m offer rejected for the youngster, who has a €100m (£86m) release clause in his deal, but they are expected to return with a fresh offer before the window slams shut on Friday.
A move for Araujo is irrespective of any deal to sign Wolfsburg defender Maxence Lacroix, with the club already having a bid accepted for the Frenchman.
However, despite agreeing a deal in principle for the 24-year-old, it isn't out of the question that the Eagles will still pursue a move for the Portuguese ace, with the club potentially needing to sign multiple centre-backs for the loss of Andersen and potential sale of Guehi.
Any deal to sign Araujo would be a huge coup, potentially making him the ideal man to replace Guehi should he move to St James’ Park and allowing him to form an excellent partnership with Lacroix at the heart of Glasner's backline.
Why Araujo could be the perfect Guehi successor
Whilst losing Guehi would be a huge blow for Glasner’s side, it would represent incredible business conducted by Steve Parish, making a £55m profit on the 24-year-old in just a three-year period.
However, the funds generated can allow for added investment into the first-team squad, potentially repeating a deal for Guehi with Araujo, signing a talented youngster, allowing him to develop and make them a huge sum down the line.
On the face of it, a deal for the Portuguese ace may seem an expensive one, but when delving into his stats from the 2024/25 campaign, he’s bettered Guehi in numerous key areas for a centre-back.
The “dominant” defender, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, excelled in possession, completing more progressive carries and progressive passes per 90 – making him an excellent fit for Glasner’s possession-based system.
Games played
13
25
Progressive carries
1.1
0.7
Progressive passes
4.6
3
Pass accuracy
90%
87%
Tackles won
1.7
0.8
Interceptions
0.5
0.8
Aerials won
71%
50%
However, he also dominated the Englishman defensively, winning more tackles per 90, whilst making more interceptions and coming out on top in more aerial battles.
It would potentially be a risk splashing a mammoth fee on a youngster unproven in the Premier League, but his stats show that he would be an excellent addition to the Palace side.
His ability in and out of possession makes him an ideal fit for the club’s backline, with an emphasis on building from the back and playing through the thirds.
Losing Guehi would be detrimental to the Eagles’ ambitions of securing a top-half finish this campaign, but should they replace him with Araujo before Friday’s deadline, it could allow for the club to forget about the English international and have a season to remember in 2024/25.
With Lacroix already seemingly closing in on a move, there could well be an exciting, fresh look to Palace's backline moving forward.
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