Tottenham scouted £69m defender, then he impressed against Arsenal days later

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Tottenham would have been left very impressed by how a full-back, who is on their summer wishlist, performed against Arsenal this week.

According to reports, Roberto De Zerbi has already spoken to the Tottenham hierarchy about potential summer targets, as the Italian aims to put his imprint on the squad he inherited.

The Spurs boss will get a chance to get a close look at their players over the next month and a half before the summer wishlist is finalised.

However, the Lilywhites are already keeping a close eye on an experienced left-back, whose latest performance would not have gone unnoticed at Tottenham.

Tottenham target Maxi Araujo impresses in the Champions League against Arsenal

According to various reports, Tottenham are eyeing a summer move for Sporting Lisbon star Maxi Araujo, who has an €80m (£69m) release clause in his contract.

In fact, just a few days ago, it was reported that Spurs scouted Maxi Araujo against England during the international break, and that they are continuing to keep a close eye on his development.

If the Lilywhites had watched Araujo against Arsenal on Tuesday, they could not have helped but be impressed.

Even though the Gunners emerged 1-0 winners in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal at the Jose Alvalade Stadium, the full-back came away from the encounter with a lot of credit.

Arujo played all 90 minutes, and as per FotMob, he made 10 defensive contributions, including one interception and nine tackles, which was by far the highest of any player on the pitch.

The 26-year-old was also effective in attack, registering one shot on target, creating one big chance and having four touches in the opposition box.

He completed 27 of his 32 passes, ending with a pass completion rate of 84 per cent, which included four completed passes into the final third and two crosses, both of which found their intended target.

He finished with a match rating of 7.1, which was the highest of any Sporting player in the first leg.

Spurs can land Araujo on a discount but they face competition

According to various sources, Tottenham face competition from London rivals, Chelsea, for Araujo’s services this summer.

Additionally, it was revealed by A Bola a week ago that Man United are also considering challenging Spurs for the Sporting defender.

The same outlet revealed that even though the player’s release clause stands at €80m (£69m), the Portuguese club are ready to listen to offers starting at around €40m (£34.5m) for the full-back.