Newcastle United might be willing to offer Ronald Araujo a massive salary package to lure him away from Barcelona.
According to El Nacional, Newcastle United are keen on signing Ronald Araujo and are prepared to offer him a bumper salary package to lure him away from Barcelona.
Signing defenders is one of Newcastle United’s priorities in the January window. The cash-rich English club are making preparations for what could be the biggest transfer window in their history. The Magpies have the required funds to bring in quality players with suggestions they might spend heavily to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
The Magpies have some tough fixtures between now and the end of December, which might make it difficult for them to recover and avoid relegation. They are winless in the domestic competition, and Eddie Howe wants to address the leaky defence he inherited when he became their new manager.
Newcastle are prepared to do what it takes to bring in quality players in January. The Magpies have been chasing James Tarkowski, although they switched their attention to Manchester City’s Nathan Ake when it became clear that Burnley would block any possible January move for their centre-back.
There are also links to Inter Milan’s Stefan de Vrij, whom Tottenham are also chasing. A new name has emerged on their shortlist in Barcelona star Ronald Araujo. The Uruguayan is steadily becoming a key player at the Catalan outfit, and new Blaugrana boss, Xavi Hernandez, will urge the club to block any move.
There are suggestions that Xavi has requested the club to offer Araujo a new deal with a substantial increase on his current wages. Reports suggest his earnings could be around the €4 million-a-year mark at Camp Nou, which could be a problem considering what Newcastle are prepared to pay.
Apart from a transfer fee, Newcastle are prepared to offer Araujo a net salary of €10 million per season, which is more than double the new Barcelona contract might pay. Add a fat signing-on fee, and it makes for a lucrative deal for any player in world football, let alone Araujo.
Araujo’s current deal expires in 2023, and considering the money on offer, he could be lured into moving to England. There are other big Premier League sides interested in the 22-year-old, although none of them might be willing to match the bumper financial package the Magpies are willing to table.
It remains to be seen if there’s any strength in these stories. As we get closer to the January window, things could get clearer. Right now, these should be treated as rumours, although the Magpies are capable of paying over the odds for any player they desire.