Manchester United defeated Athletic Bilbao on Thursday to set up a Europa League final against Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
The Red Devils had cruised to a 3-0 win over Bilbao in the first leg of their semi-final, and a 4-1 victory at Old Trafford saw Ruben Amorim’s side progress with a 7-1 aggregate victory.
Both United and Spurs have struggled domestically this season, but the final in the Basque Country later this month will give both sides a prime opportunity to save what has been an otherwise poor campaign and also, crucially, qualify for the Champions League.
In the meantime, it has emerged that the Red Devils are interested in a La Liga star as they look to bolster Amorim’s backline before the start of next season.
According to Fichajes via GiveMeSport, United are keen to sign Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo, 26.
Araujo could be on the move this summer (Photo: Maciej Rogowski / Alamy Stock Photo)
The report claims that Man United are among a number of clubs from across Europe considering a move for the centre-back this summer.
Araujo joined Barcelona from Uruguayan side Boston River in 2018 and has since played 173 times for the Spanish giants across all competitions, including 23 games this season after recovering from a hamstring injury.
Despite his importance to Hansi Flick’s side, the report claims that Barcelona could be willing to allow the Uruguay international to depart the club this summer for a fee of around £42 million.
Araujo’s contract with the La Liga side is set to expire at the end of the 2030/31 campaign, but it appears increasingly likely that he could depart Barcelona this summer.
As well as Man United, German champions Bayern Munich and Italian outfit Juventus are also said to be among the current frontrunners to land the player.