Chelsea would be willing to offer around £34 million for 22-year-old summer target

Chelsea are looking to improve their defensive options before the transfer window closes and they have identified the Benfica defender Tomas Araujo as a target.

According to a report from CNN Portugal via Maisfutebol, Chelsea are hoping to sign the 22-year-old central defender and they would be willing to offer €40 million (£34m) for him.

It will be interesting to see if Chelsea follow up on their interest with an official proposal in the coming weeks. They looked quite vulnerable defensively last season and they could certainly use defensive reinforcements.

Araujo would be a quality long-term investment for them and the 22-year-old will help them tighten up defensively. Chelsea will need to improve their squad if they want to return to the UEFA Champions League and push for domestic trophies this season. They cannot afford to concede goals easily and improving their defensive organisation should be one of their priorities.

Tomas Araujo would improve Chelsea

Araujo has shown his quality with Benfica and there is no doubt that he has the physicality and technical attributes to do well in the Premier League as well. The 22-year-old is quite young and he will only get better with coaching and experience. He could develop into a key player for Chelsea in the long term. The Blues are one of the biggest clubs in the world and the opportunity to play for them could be quite attractive for the young defender. The reported €40 million offer could look like a bargain if he manages to fulfil his potential in the coming seasons.

Meanwhile, Chelsea will be expected to bounce back strongly after two mediocre seasons. They need the right reinforcements in order to compete with Arsenal and Manchester City. It will be interesting to see if they can improve their squad adequately before the window closes tomorrow.