Chesterfield: Fresh deal for unsung hero feels tough given Fulham action | OneFootball

Despite an injury crisis, Chesterfield's back four has impressed in recent weeks, with a Fulham loanee picking up plaudits in his breakthrough season.

Chesterfield’s frontline has picked up plaudits this campaign, with last season’s National League winners joint-top of the League Two scoring charts with 35 goals heading into this weekend's games, but in recent weeks, it’s been Paul Cook’s rock-solid defence which has helped the Spireites gain nine points from a possible twelve.

After Chesterfield’s first mini wobble of the season, which saw the Spireites beaten by Harrogate Town, Accrington Stanley and MK Dons, the Spireites have got back to winning ways in recent weeks, having won their last three games in all competitions, even picking up the scalp of League One Wigan Athletic in the EFL Trophy.

An uptick in form has seen Town move up to sixth in League Two, with the potential to move at least one place higher if they beat play-off rivals AFC Wimbledon on Saturday.

In the league, Chesterfield have kept three clean sheets in their last four games, with Cook’s back four standing strong against Carlisle United last weekend, as well as Tranmere Rovers and Barrow in recent weeks.

With injuries and tactical tweaks, Cook has continued to tinker with his defence, but one of the 57-year-old's mainstays has been a youngster who is playing with maturity and class way beyond his years.

Harvey Araujo has been one of Chesterfield’s unsung heroes this season

Left-footed defender Araujo joined Chesterfield in the summer from Premier League Fulham on a season-long loan and has impressed in Derbyshire, making 15 appearances in League Two, starting at centre-back in each of their last four matches.

The 20-year-old especially impressed at Brunton Park on Saturday in the Spireites’ 2-0 win at Carlisle, where he started off at left centre-back, before shifting over to left-back following a half-time injury to Lewis Gordon.

The youngster looked calm and composed in possession, completing 81% of his passes, and comfortably transitioned from centre-back to the left when required, making four clearances, three tackles, an interception, and even completng a sucessful dribble as the Spireites dug in and grounded out an important win in Cumbria.

Before his move to Chesterfield, his only taste of senior professional football had come for Fulham U21s in the EFL Trophy, but the 20-year-old has made the move from youth to senior football with ease, and he looks to have secured his place in the Spireites' team.

With Chey Dunkley and Tom Naylor starting the season as Cook’s preferred centre-back duo, Araujo might’ve thought he’d be a squad player in his first season in senior football, but an injury crisis in defence offered the Fulham youngster a chance to stake his claim for a starting spot, and he has taken it.

Following a dislocated shoulder to Tyrone Williams, which forced him off after an hour at Carlisle, Araujo’s case for a starting spot becomes even stronger, as Dunkley and Ash Palmer continue their recovery from longer-term issues, although the former Shrewsbury skipper has been pictured back in full training.

Araujo’s claim to a starting spot is helped even more by the former England U18 international’s ability to play at left-back, with Araujo being preferred to National League winner Branden Horton on the left-hand side of the back four when the ever-present Gordon missed out.

During his youth career in London, Araujo has played over 25 matches at fullback, so he is well versed at playing the role, should he be called upon by Cook.

With the Spireites dealing with an ongoing injury crisis, Araujo’s importance to the Chesterfield squad cannot be understated, with the adage ‘don’t fall in love with a loan player’ becoming increasingly more accurate with every passing week.

Araujo’s Fulham situation would make a fresh Chesterfield deal tricky

Alongside fellow Spireites loanee Devan Tanton, Araujo is a product of the Cottagers’ academy, joining aged 11, and he went onto be part of Fulham’s U21 team that went on to lift the Premier League Cup final, having made 18 appearances in the Premier League 2 last season.

He signed a contract extension with his parent club in the summer lasting until 2027, when he will be 23-years-old, and having impressed in League Two in his breakthrough season, a permanent Chesterfield deal seems unlikely at this stage.

Having just turned 20, Araujo already looks at home at League Two level, and while it is unlikely the former England U16 international is recalled in January, if he carries on his impressive form into the back end of the season, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Araujo playing League One football next season to continue his development, whether it be at Chesterfield or elsewhere.

With Araujo signing a new deal with his parent club in the summer, he is clearly still highly regarded by the Fulham hierarchy, which suggests if Cook was to make the deal permanent in the summer, Chesterfield would likely have to cough up a sizable fee for the defender.

Town are still in contention for a second successive promotion, so it may be slightly early to be preparing for next season, but it is worth noting that the contracts of captain Jamie Grimes, Palmer and Williams are all up in the summer, who are all in their thirties.

The Spireites’ boss has a great track record in the transfer window during his second stint in Derbyshire, so if a loan extension, or a permanent transfer for the Fulham academy graduate is not possible, Town fans will back Cook to unearth another gem.