Barcelona are reportedly ready to cash in on 22-year-old defender Ronald Araujo should any interested party come up with a bid of €60 million.
According to El Nacional, FC Barcelona are considering selling Ronald Araujo next summer. The player is highly rated by Xavi Hernandez, who wants to revolve his team’s defence around him in the future. But the club president Joan Laporta is open to 22-year-old the young Uruguayan, knowing Barcelona require funds to land top targets next season.
Araujo currently has a release clause at Barcelona worth €200 million. Laporta, meanwhile, values him at around €60 million and will have no hesitation in sanctioning the sale should any club match the amount next summer. Araujo has been heavily linked with a move to Premier League lately, with Newcastle United among the clubs interested in his services.
In fact, the 22-year-old centre-back has emerged as one of the most promising talents at Barcelona, thanks to a brilliant set of performances under new coach Xavi Hernandez. He notably played a key role in the recent win over Villarreal and has recently notched up over 50 competitive appearances for the club.
With Gerard Pique in the final phase of his career, many believe Araujo can take on the mantle of becoming a leader at the back for the Blaugrana in the coming years. However, it remains to be seen whether the youngster remains in Catalonia amid interest from a host of clubs across Europe.
Indeed, the 22-year-old is courted by Premier League giants Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United. It appears they have been alerted by the defender’s rapid rise to prominence this season, with Liverpool even considering a bumper contract offer for the young centre-back.
Barcelona’s intention to sell the Uruguayan international stems from their poor financial status that has crippled their powers in the market. They are not in a position to land top players unless they manage to offload some of the star players in the team. As a result, Laporta is considering selling the young and talented Araujo, who is sure to yield a hefty transfer compensation.
The sale could potentially open up the avenue for Barcelona to go after Ferran Torres next summer. The Catalans are reportedly willing to fork out €40 million for the Spaniard, but it falls well below Manchester City’s €70 million valuation. So it will be interesting to see how Barcelona manage to remodel their squad and free up the funds after the end of the season.
