Man Utd have been long-term admirers of Barcelona star defender, Ronald Araujo, and have tried to tempt him to come to Old Trafford by doubling his salary. It seemed like the Catalan club would put him on the market for around £63.5m.
However, as per Diario Sport, Barcelona have now decided to keep hold of the player. Joan Laporta has played an active role in convincing the player to sign a new contract that would see him stay with the Catalan club for years to come.
Read – Man Utd table initial bid after agreeing £44.2million contract for signing
Araujo’s current deal expires in 2026 and it seemed like the player’s entourage were not seeing eye-to-eye with sporting director Deco over a new contract.
Hence, Sport claim Man Utd ‘burst in with an astronomical proposal’ for the player. It is stated that the PL side were willing to do anything to hire his services.
Things have changed now and the player is committed to continuing even though a contract renewal has not yet been agreed. Barcelona are pushing to make the player sign a new deal as they do not want him to enter the final year of his contract.
The 25-year-old Uruguayan international suffered an injury in the recently concluded Copa America and has undergone surgery which will see him miss out on action until December. It is a huge blow to Hansi Flick who would have been planning his team with Araujo in it.
When fit and in form, Araujo is one of the best centre-backs in the world. He is often tasked with man-marking the best player in the opposition team and almost always comes out on top – just ask Vinicius Jr. about it!
Towards the end of last season, the 25-year-old made some costly mistakes in the league and the Champions League. It was his sending-off that turned the Champions League quarterfinal tie against PSG on its head which Barcelona eventually lost.
Regardless, it looks like the Catalan club have kept their faith in Araujo. Man Utd don’t stand a chance at the moment but anything can happen until he puts pen to paper and the Red Devils need to be attentive to the situation.
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