Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo has emerged as a transfer target for Bayern Munich, with Julian Nagelsmann reportedly keen on signing the Uruguayan.
According to a report from El Nacional, German champions Bayern Munich have their sights set on a move for Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo in the summer transfer window.
The 22-year-old signed for Barcelona in the summer of 2018, arriving from Uruguayan outfit Boston River. Having linked up with the club’s B team initially, Araujo made his senior debut in 2019 but only became a regular part of the first-team setup since last season.
Over the past eighteen months or so, the defender has grown into a mainstay at the heart of the defence and has even overtaken the mantle of the leadership at the back from Gerard Pique. Araujo’s growth at the club level has been rewarded with a call-up to the Uruguayan national team. At the same time, he has also firmly cemented his status as one of the most exciting young defenders in La Liga currently.
Naturally, the 22-year-old’s rapid progression has alerted the who’s who of European football. There have been rumours of interest from the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United, while Newcastle United have also emerged as a surprise suitor for the 22-year-old. Now it is Bayern Munich who have made their presence felt in the race to sign the Barcelona centre-back.
The Bavarian giants bolstered their defensive unit last summer with Dayot Upamecano. However, given Lucas Hernandez’s fitness concerns, manager Julian Nagelsmann intends to add another centre-half to his roster. While there have been links to Matthias Ginter, who will be a free agent in the summer, the report mentioned above states that Araujo is high on the manager’s wishlist.
The 22-year-old has eighteen months left on his current contract with Barcelona, meaning he will be entering the final year of his deal in the summer. Talks over a new deal are being held but have not progressed as well as the Catalan giants would have hoped for, leading to speculations on his future.
The report adds that Bayern Munich have already gotten in touch with the defender’s camp and are willing to hand him a bumper contract that would stand to blow Barça’s offer out of the water. Given their financial problems, the Catalans could be forced into a position where they cannot match their rivals contract proposal to Araujo and decide to cash in on him.
Considering that the chances of winning silverware would be higher at the Allianz Arena than at Camp Nou, the Uruguayan international could also be tempted by the move. So, it becomes imperative for Barcelona to try and tie down the promising defender to a new long-term contract at the earliest.
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