Chelsea are “actively” looking to sign another centre-half in the near future, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said that Benfica defender Tomas Araujo is among the names being looked at by the Blues:

“Chelsea are actively monitoring the centre-back market. Let’s see if it will be January or summer.”

“They considered Tomas Araujo in the last days of the summer just gone but Benfica were not selling. Chelsea are interested in several players!”

What do fans need to know about Araujo?

The 22-year-old has a €100m (£83m) release clause in his contract so Chelsea could still make an attempt to sign the defender even if Benfica don’t want to offload him.

It should be noted that the Blues do have a history of doing this, having paid Enzo Fernandez’s buyout fee to bring him from Benfica in January 2023.

Araujo is right-footed and he generally plays as the right-sided player in the middle of defence, meaning his direct competition would be Wesley Fofana and Tosin Adarabioyo. Considering that he has only made 46 league appearances in top-flight football, you do have to question whether he would be brought in as a regular starter.

Who else could Chelsea sign?

As Romano mentions, the club’s recruitment team are reportedly looking at “several” different options. The main alternative is believed to be RB Leipzig’s Castello Lukeba.

It was confirmed back in late September that the Blues are keeping close tabs on the 21-year-old’s progress. Although the defender only joined Leipzig last year for €30m, he is likely to be cheaper than Araujo.

This season, the Frenchman has made 12 appearances for his club, although he has been sidelined for the last three games due to a muscular injury.

Find out who is in Chelsea’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here