Manchester United battles Bayern Munich and Juventus as Barcelona lowers the asking price of Ronald Araujo for a potential transfer. The Catalan giant have decided to accept a lower price after the Uruguayan took the spotlight for the wrong reasons.
The 26-year-old faced stern criticism after he failed to stop Francesco Acerbi from scoring for Inter Milan in the midweek. Inter subsequently defeated the Catalans in the Champions League semifinal tie in an epic clash, which ended 7-6 in aggregate.
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has preferred Inigo Martinez over Araujo, that escalated the transfer rumours of a potential summer exit. The 26-year-old’s mistake has convinced the Barcelona board to accept a low offer, which would help ease their financial issues.
Manchester United battle Bayern Munich and Juventus as Barcelona lowers the price of Ronald Araujo.
Manchester United battle Bayern Munich and Juventus as Barcelona lowers the price of Ronald Araujo.
The Uruguayan has made 23 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona, scoring two goals and providing two assists this season. The lack of game time is the mitigating factor for Araujo, but a summer exit remains the best mutual solution.
According to Fichajes, United are ready to battle Bayern and Juventus as Barcelona have lowered to price to €50 million. A potential bidding war could still slightly increase that price tag for the defender, who is still playing in prime.
Araujo’s ability to play both as a centre-back and as a right-back could play a crucial role for Man United. The Red Devils need versatile players like the 26-year-old defender, capable of adjusting to the tactical demands of Ruben Amorim.
The three-man defence formation could also bring the best out of the Uruguay international, who has good pace and athleticism. Araujo is a formidable opponent in set-piece situations during both the offensive and defensive phases of the game.
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United would benefit from exploiting the situation of their competitors and signing players of the required profile for a cut price instead of doing their usual style of business, which proved too costly in the past. The Red Devils are under stern financial pressure and need to make sure that they get everything right next summer.