Andrea Berta has reportedly opened talks for Sporting CP left-back Maxi Araujo, the Uruguayan who tested us across both legs of the Champions League quarter-final. The Gunners have, according to reports, opened initial talks for a player rated at €60m, with a release clause set at €80m at Sporting.

This is the second time in twelve months Berta has gone shopping at the Estadio Jose Alvalade. Last summer it was Viktor Gyokeres. This summer it could be the player Berta watched twice in three months from the directors' box. Berta has form for this kind of operation from his Atletico Madrid years — long planning windows, deep relationships with selling clubs, and a record of buying well at every level of the squad.

Maxi Araujo is 26, left-footed, and stands at 1.79m. Born in Montevideo, he arrived at Sporting from Mexican side Toluca in August 2024 on a five-year deal, and won the Primeira Liga and Taca de Portugal in his debut season under Ruben Amorim. He has 28 caps for Uruguay and scored twice at the 2024 Copa America. Araujo has registered 4 goals and 3 assists in the Primeira Liga in 2025-26. He can play as a left-winger or left-back, the kind of left-sided hybrid Arteta has spent two seasons trying to build into the squad without success.

Araujo, who started at left-back in the Champions League quarter-final first leg in Lisbon, ran onto an Ousmane Diomande pass and produced a left-footed effort that David Raya tipped onto the bar.

In the second leg at the Emirates eight days later, with Calafiori absent through injury and Hincapie reshuffled across, Araujo was again on the left and again caused us problems. Two minutes from half-time, he clipped a cross to the back post which Geny Catamo volleyed off the foot of the post with the outside of his boot. We rode our luck on the night.

Calafiori's availability is the most pressing reason behind the reported interest in Araujo. The Italian last started for us in the Lisbon first leg on 7 April. He missed the Bournemouth defeat, sat out the second leg against Sporting, and also failed to make the squad against Newcastle despite reports of him passing the fitness test.

The case strengthens once you look at the rest of the left side. Piero Hincapie has been our best left-back this season, and the loan from Bayer Leverkusen is widely expected to be made permanent. Calafiori, when fit, is the inverted full-back Arteta wants. Myles Lewis-Skelly is 19 and brilliant. None of those three is a left-winger. Gabriel Martinelli is, on his day, but his day has been intermittent for two seasons. The same can be said of Leandro Trossard. Araujo gives Arteta a player who can start at left-back when needed and start at left-wing when Martinelli is rotated or injured. He is depth in two positions, not one. Trossard is most likely to leave at the end of the season.

Then there is positional flexibility, which Arteta now demands at every position but has been unable to deliver consistently on the left. Calafiori was meant to invert into midfield. He has done it well in patches. Araujo has spent his career rotating between defending the touchline and attacking it. His four league goals from full-back in a season is a number you do not get from a player who only knows how to defend. His Champions League debut goal came against Manchester City in November 2024 in a 4-1 Sporting win. He scores against good sides.

Then there is positional flexibility, which Arteta now demands at every position but has been unable to deliver consistently on the left. Calafiori was meant to invert into midfield. He has done it well in patches. Araujo is comfortable rotating between defending the touchline and attacking it. He is also an attacking threat, with four league goals as a full-back. His Champions League debut goal came against Manchester City in November 2024 in a 4-1 Sporting win. If Berta lands him then it will solve a longstanding issue we have on the left side of our squad.