The situation forces the Catalans to act quickly.
They repelled the Bayern leader
Last winter, Bayern had serious problems in the center of defense. The team was going through difficult times – there was no agreement between the coach and management, they were losing depth on the bench among the central defenders. And that’s how they collapsed in the Bundesliga. It is for this reason that the Munich team seriously targeted Ronald Araujo. The Uruguayan was already considered Barcelona’s absolute leader with an excellent set of qualities. And everyone should have benefited from the deal: Bayern would have closed a problematic position, Araujo would have found themselves in a team with which they were fighting for trophies in training, and not just in words, and Barça would have improved his financial situation.
However, the leadership of the “blue garnet” in the person of Deco and Laporta turned out to have no alternative. Ronald as a leader was not going to be sold anywhere and under any circumstances. At that time, Bayern were ready to offer 70 million euros in compensation, but the Catalans estimated the potential deal to be at least 100 million. This context is necessary to understand how much the situation has changed today.
Negotiations on a new contract are at an impasse
It seemed that nothing threatened the defender’s status in the club – he was a leader for many years (Ronald is young and he himself had no desire to leave Barca). But lately, that confidence has been shaken. Initially, harmless insider information about the progress of the negotiations surfaced. Araujo, like De Jong, has a contract that expires in the summer of 2026. The Blaugrana started negotiations early to avoid losing their leaders. The dialogue developed in a positive way, both wanted to stay in Barcelona. True, no final decision has been made – the club warned that it has time until the summer. Otherwise, the players will be transferred.
By the New Year, the situation had changed. Ronald is no longer sure whether it is worth staying at the Blaugrana. In private conversations with his teammates, the Uruguayan admitted that he felt exhausted due to various situations. There is strong competition in his position – Pau Kubarsi is progressing quickly, the experienced Inigo Martinez is his support, next to them are Eric Garcia and Andreas Christensen, also strong defenders. In addition, the Catalans want to organize the transfer of Jonathan Ta from Bayer Leverkusen. Probably in this context, Ronald lacks support after his injury. According to the latest data, negotiations with the “blue garnets” on a new contract have reached an impasse: the parties have failed to reach an agreement.
They want to make the most of the Juve deal
Barça does not want to part with a strong player for almost nothing. If, a year earlier, he had not been released for 70 million euros, we must now demand comparable conditions. There is a real demand for a central defender from Juventus. The Turin team adapts to the demands of the new coach – Motta needs smarter central defenders with a passing culture, reliable in personal marking. The Bianconeri need two players for this position and Araujo is a priority target in the market.
Juve want to negotiate a loan deal. It should be noted that Ronald will arrive in Turin for a medical examination next week. At the same time, Barça wants to sell the “old lady” and include in the rental contract a buyout obligation of at least 45-50 million euros.
The Catalans are in a weak position
It will not be easy for the Blue Garnets to enforce their mandates, and for several reasons. First, because of Araujo himself. A year earlier, it could still bring in 70 million euros. At that time, he was seriously injured and had been recovering for five months. And even before that, the defender was so injured that in the previous five years he spent about a year recovering. This is an asset for buyers, but not for sellers.
Secondly, Barca need money more than Juve need an injured central defender. The Catalans continue to suffer from a crisis that has reached absurdity. This summer the club experienced difficulties with the usual registration of a newcomer; Dani Olmo missed the first matches because of this. And now the league has refused to renew the registration (in the end, Dani and Pau Victor agreed to temporarily register while the appeal was considered). The sale of Araujo should help ease the payroll, but with his contract expiring, Ronald’s value will only drop with each passing window. The Catalans need this transfer much more urgently, and Juve can simply wait for the right moment, because it is not profitable for them to arrange a full-fledged transfer now.
In the Italian Championship, Araujo can reveal himself in a new way
For Juventus itself, this transfer could well be a success. Due to the recent injury and the expiration of Araujo’s contract and the crisis at Barça, the Turin team will receive the player at a reduced price. At the same time, the qualities of the Uruguayan will not disappear; the main thing is to competently approach its restoration. At Barça, managers regularly receive serious injuries, so the situation is likely to change with a change of team.
In addition, the fact that Serie A does not have the most intense football will play into its hands. Here the pace of the game is much lower, Ronald will have more time to make decisions and, therefore, the load on the nervous system will not be as high.
The Turin team just needs to not make concessions to the blue garnets. If they ultimately reject the deal, it’s worse for them: Araujo will become even cheaper this summer if he decides not to renew his contract.
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