Bayern Munich Believe FC Barcelona Sell Ronald Araujo For This Price
Bayern Munich believes that FC Barcelona will sell star defender Ronald Araujo to them for the right price, according to SPORT.
Interest that the Bavarians have in the Uruguayan was first reported on by BILD via SKY, who explained that Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel rang Araujo to explain a sporting project which he sees Araujo a central part of.
Mundo Deportivo later explained that Araujo is happy in Catalonia but will wait to see how the rest of the season pans out.
According to SPORT, though, Bayern is under the impression that Barca’s dire financial predicament will force them to accept an offer of around $108 million (€100 million) for the 24-year-old who renewed his contract until mid-2026 last year.
“Barca prefers not to sell the centre-back, but they also believe that it could be the only solution,” SPORT writes, with sacrificing a figure that has been touted as a future captain a “painful decision” that might have to be made “in order to have resources to rebuild the team”.
At present, Barca has three experienced center backs to choose from alongside Araujo who are namely Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen and Inigo Martinez.
In recent weeks, Pau Cubarsi has impressed as a 17-year-old La Masia graduate who has even partnered Araujo at the heart of the back line on occasion.
Barca is aware of the wolves at the door and is reportedly preparing to offer Araujo another extension in the coming weeks.
To try and turn his head, however, Bayern is willing to offer double what cash-strapped Barca can alongside a realistic chance of winning the Champions League each passing year at the same time the Catalans have only made the last 16 of Europe’s elite continental competition twice in the last four seasons.
Both Araujo and Barca might have a difficult decision to make in the coming months.
RAC1 reported this week that one big sale alone might not be enough to get the Blaugrana back on track financially with other potential candidates shown the exit door including Frenkie de Jong and Raphinha.
According to The Athletic, De Jong was the subject of an $91.6 million (€85 million) offer from Manchester United in 2022 which Barca accepted only for the Dutchman to turn down the chance to switch to the PremierPINC League giants.
Elsewhere in England, Tottenham Hotspur has tabled a $75.4 million (€70 million) bid for Raphinha with Liverpool possibly starting an auction for him according to SPORT.
