Premier League champions Manchester City are reportedly keen on signing Ronald Araujo and have already made the first moves to sign the Barcelona defender.
According to a report by Spanish publication AS, Ronald Araujo is the subject of interest from Manchester City. The Premier League champions are one of several clubs closely monitoring the Uruguayan defender’s contract situation at Barcelona.
Ronald Araujo has taken no time to establish himself as the most reliable defender for Barcelona and one of the best centre-backs in La Liga. The 22-year-old made his first-team debut for Barcelona in October 2019 and has since gone from strength to strength.
To date, the Uruguayan international has made 63 appearances for Barcelona, with 24 outings coming in the ongoing campaign. But the Catalan giants are in a spot of bother over Araujo’s long-term future as he has entered the final 18 months of his contract. That, coupled with his improving performance levels, have captured the attention of several European bigwigs, including Manchester City.
At Manchester City, Pep Guardiola has several top-class centre-backs at his disposal, with Ruben Dias, John Stones and Aymeric Laporte being three of the best defenders in Europe. But Laporte has been heavily linked with a possible summer move to Barcelona lately. At the same time, Nathan Ake’s future is not set in stone either.
Manchester City will thus need to keep their options open, with Araujo being a viable target. The Premier League champions seem to have made their first move for the Barcelona defender, with Pep Guardiola recently seen dining with his agent Edmundo Kabchi.
While it may not have a direct correlation with talks being held between Araujo and Manchester City, the report claims that the Citizens have launched an offensive for the 22-year-old. With the Uruguayan defender one of the lowest earners at Barcelona, prospective suitors like Manchester City should fancy their chances.
But the Premier League champions will need to fend off stiff competition from several other English clubs, with Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United also linked with him. Araujo has reportedly already snubbed Barcelona’s first contract renewal offer, meaning Manchester City and others might be in contention to sign him for a cut-price fee in the summer.