A host of Premier League giants are interested in Ronald Araujo as Barcelona could potentially consider offers in the region of €50 million.
According to Fichajes, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea are among the Premier League teams keeping close tabs on Ronald Araujo’s situation. The Uruguayan defender could be a dispensable asset if the Blaugrana consider a sale to solve their financial issues, with the Catalan giants demanding at least €50 million.
Ronald Araujo was expected to regain his starting role at Barcelona following the summer departure of Inigo Martinez to Al-Nassr. While Hansi Flick has used him for most of the games so far, there are still no guarantees of a concerted run in the heart of the defence alongside Pau Cubarsi.
While Araujo might be happy with his minutes, there are long-term doubts about whether Barcelona might consider selling the Uruguayan to resolve their financial issues. The reigning La Liga champions want at least €50 million should they offload the centre-back, with a host of Premier League sides showing big interest.
Arsenal are mentioned as one of the suitors for Ronald Araujo, but it is difficult to see the club further investing in strengthening their backline, which effectively is one of the best in the continent. They are probably set to invest in other areas of their squad and may not be very serious about the €50 million-rated Barcelona defender.
Chelsea considered Araujo as the Levi Colwill cover earlier, but they never made an offer to test Barcelona’s resolve. The Blues are expected to sign a new centre-back in January as some of their defensive issues have been laid bare over the past few weeks.
Liverpool are a contender for Ronald Araujo
Liverpool were eager to sign Araujo earlier, but they had prioritised a move for Marc Guehi, which failed in the eleventh hour on transfer deadline day. With other defensive arrivals, Giovanni Leoni suffering an ACL rupture in his knee, there is a clear need for a centre-back cover ahead of the January market.
Hence, Ronald Araujo could be an appealing target, although any deal would depend on several factors. For starters, the Barcelona defender’s desire to stay or leave will be key, as well as the Spanish club’s ability to find a replacement well within the €50 million they want for the Uruguayan. Should both those things materialise, the defender could be headed to the Premier League in the near future.