Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing 26-year-old Uruguayan defender Maximiliano Araujo during the summer transfer window.

According to a report by Record via Sport Witness, Maximiliano Araujo is currently away on World Cup duty with Uruguay, and he will decide his future after the tournament. Any club hoping to secure his signature will have to wait until the end of the tournament.

The 26-year-old left-back has a €80 million release clause in his contract, and he is likely to cost a premium this summer. Chelsea could certainly use more quality in the left-back position, and the South American would be a valuable addition.

Marc Cucurella has been linked with a return to La Liga. It will be interesting to see if Chelsea decide to sell the Spanish international and replace him with Araujo. The Uruguay International has done quite well with the Portuguese club, and he has provem himself to be a complete fullback who can contribute at both ends of the park.

Araujo produced 13 goal contributions for Sporting CP this past season. The opportunity to play for Chelsea will be exciting for him. It would be a step up in his career, and he would get to prove himself in the Premier League.

Manchester United could use Araujo

On the other hand, Manchester United are reportedly keeping tabs on his situation as well. They need a long-term replacement for Luke Shaw, who is approaching the twilight stages of his career. Signing the South American would be a wise decision. It will also allow Patrick Dorgu to operate in a more advanced role.

The Danish international has been a useful player for Manchester United, but he can be quite unreliable defensively. He has proven to be a more efficient option going forward. Finally, Tottenham are also interested in Araujo.

However, the North London outfit have recently signed Andrew Robertson on a free transfer, and it will be quite surprising if they decide to invest in the Sporting CP star. They also have Souza and Destiny Udogie at their disposal. They should focus on adding a quality central defender instead, with Jan Paul van Hecke a top target.