Update emerges on Watford’s transfer pursuit of Benfica striker | OneFootball

Watford are not as close as initial reports have made out to landing Benfica striker Henrique Araujo, with plenty of work needing to be done before a deal is struck for the youngster, according to Mais Futebol.

Per a claim from another Portuguese publication in the form of Record, via Sport Witness, the Hornets have agreed to take the 20-year-old on loan until the end of the 2022-23 season, and that they will pay his full wages but will not hold the option to make the deal a permanent one in the summer.

However, claims that a deal has been struck or finalised to take Araujo to Hertfordshire have been refuted by Mais Futebol, who say that the two clubs are still locked in talks.

The young forward, who has been capped eight times at under-21 level for Portugal, made his senior Benfica debut back in February 2022, and has scored five times in 20 appearances in all competitions for the Eagles.

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Araujo could now be heading to the Championship though to continue his development following Benfica’s acquisition of striker Casper Tengstedt from Rosenborg, with Watford already doing business with Benfica this month with the signing of Joao Ferreira.

The Verdict

The fact that Araujo has been in and around Benfica’s first-team this season says a lot about his ability and potential, but the signing of Tengstedt is surely going to shunt him down the pecking order.

He hasn’t actually started a match for Benfica this season, with all his outings coming off the bench, so it would perhaps be beneficial for the club to send Araujo somewhere where he is going to get 90 minutes of football on a weekly basis.

With Rey Manaj and Keinan Davis both out injured currently for Watford, it leaves just Vakoun Bayo as their only senior out-and-out striking option, and he has flattered to deceive with his performances in a Hornets shirt this season.

Therefore, a move for Araujo does make sense, but they must move quick before other clubs catch wind and enter the race themselves.