Maxi Araujo agent sends warning to Manchester United

Manchester United have been linked with a move for Maxi Araujo, currently at Portuguese giants Sporting CP.

The left-back made 29 appearances last season in Liga Portugal, scoring five times and providing four assists. He also scored a further two times whilst adding two assists to his tally in all other competitions.

Araujo has been with Sporting for two seasons and represented Uruguay at this summer’s World Cup, before being knocked out in the group stages.

The Red Devils recently sent scouts to watch the full back at the World Cup, underlining the club’s interest ahead of the rest of the transfer window.

United are not the only club interested in a potential move, though, with fellow Premier League sides Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur also present in the race.

Araujo’s agent, Martín Rodríguez Nader, has now spoken, providing a clear warning to those interested.

Speaking to El Espectador Deportes, Nader stated: “He had a great performance both in the league and in the Champions League.

“Now he needs to show himself at the World Cup. The bigger the challenge, the more up to it he is. When a player stands out at Sporting, it’s not easy to take him away. That’s the case with Maxi.

“Sporting has a lot of money and doesn’t sell cheaply. There are only 20 or 30 teams in the world that can get Maxi: the Premier League teams and two or three main teams from the other major leagues.

“It’s unlikely Maxi will end up at a club other than one of those, given the club he’s at, what he’s looking for, and what we’re aiming for.”

The agent’s comments provide a clear blow to Manchester United’s pursuit of Maxi Araujo. The Red Devils now face a choice between pursuing the full-back and choosing to focus on alternative targets.