Arsenal and Manchester United could battle it out for Sporting Lisbon left-back/winger Maxi Araujo in the New Year, according to reports.

Writing for Fussball-news.de, journalist Ekrem Konur claimed that the two Premier League sides are “looking at” making offers in the region of €65m (£55m) for the Uruguayan international.

It is believed initial bids of €50m to €60m could be tabled, with the remainder made up of performance-related add-ons.

Araujo himself is said to be very open to joining a Premier League club, but Sporting are not so keen on letting him leave midway through the season.

The Portuguese side have not received an official proposal yet, but if they do, it is thought that they will point interested clubs to his €80m (£67m) release clause.

5 clubs are keeping tabs on Araujo

At the moment, Arsenal and United are said to hold the most concrete interest in the 26-year-old, but there are other teams monitoring his situation.

Chelsea, Liverpool and Juventus are among Araujo’s other suitors, and Sporting may feel they can hold out for his buyout clause.

Why do Arsenal want him?

Manager Mikel Arteta already has three options at left-back – Riccardo Calafiori, Piero Hincapie and Myles Lewis-Skelly, and even with Hincapie’s injury, it isn’t a position that needs to be strengthened.

The Gunners are, though, in need of reinforcements on the left flank, and Araujo could well be targeted for that reason.

Over the past few seasons, the Uruguayan has been given a fair amount of game time further up the pitch, and he has a decent goal/assist record when given fewer defensive responsibilities. Even so, many fans will feel that if you are going to spend £55m+ on a winger, you should be purchasing a specialist. It may be wise to treat this rumour with a large pinch of salt.