Bournemouth have beaten off Premier League competition to strike an agreement with Barcelona for right-back Julian Araujo.
According to HITC, Bournemouth have struck an agreement for 22-year-old Barcelona prospect Julian Araujo. The Cherries are in the final stages of landing the right-back and have reportedly beaten off competition from a few Premier League giants in the process.
Bournemouth to land Julian Araujo
Bournemouth are moving along at a rapid pace in the transfer market, as Andoni Iraola seems determined to strengthen the squad ahead of the new season. They are likely to sell Dominic Solanke to Tottenham for a hefty fee, and there is an expectation that the Spanish manager will be allowed to use a chunk of the funds on new recruits.
The Cherries have already signed Enes Unal and Luis Sinisterra and recently landed Dean Huijsen from Juventus, which makes their window look strong. They are now on the verge of landing 22-year-old Barcelona prospect Julian Araujo to strengthen their defence. The Mexican international had a productive campaign in La Liga while on loan with Las Palmas and could now be making the switch to the Premier League.
Barcelona have no place for the 22-year-old in their plans as they are still keen on signing Joao Cancelo on loan from Manchester City. Selling Araujo will free up funds to cover the salary for the Portuguese midfielder as well as pay the loan fees, as the transfer will give them some respite from their ongoing financial struggles.
Meanwhile, Bournemouth are getting a progressive defender, having advanced negotiations for Julian Araujo in the last few days. They have reportedly beaten off competition from the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham for the £10 million signing of the 22-year-old, although the latter might have posed a greater threat.
Premier League interest in Araujo
Manchester United and Tottenham are named as the most interested clubs apart from Bournemouth for Araujo. The Red Devils might have considered him as a contingent option to their other targets, as they are keen to wrap up the double signing of Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui.
Meanwhile, Tottenham are close to selling Emerson Royal and may have seen Araujo as someone to replace the former Barcelona defender. The project at Bournemouth may have been too tempting from a sporting side for the 22-year-old, who might see himself thriving under Iraola.
