Could Man City or Man Utd entice Araujo away from Barcelona?
Stefan Bienkowski
- 5 Feb 2022 14:38 GMT
- 5 min read
Barcelona manager Xavi has confirmed that the club will prioritise a new contract for Ronald Araujo amidst serious interest from Manchester City and Manchester United
The 22-year-old Uruguay international has been a regular starter under Xavi and perhaps one of the club’s few performers in defence this season.
However, the young star’s current deal with the club is set to expire in the summer of 2023, which has apparently attracted interest from some of the Premier League’s richest clubs.
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According to AS, Pep Guardiola has already wine and dined the player’s agent and his rivals across the city at Old Trafford are also keeping a close eye on the player’s availability this summer.
Should Araujo refuse to sign a contract extension with Barca, the Catalan side may be forced to sell him this year for fear of losing him for free 12 months later.
However, Xavi was extremely straightforward on the topic of Araujo’s future at the club and believes Barca will prioritise a new deal for the young defender.
“Araujo’s contract extension is one of the priorities. We definitely want to extend his contract as soon as possible," said the Barcelona manager.
“Araujo is giving us a lot and he is highly esteemed in the club and the dressing room."
Could Araujo leave for Man City or Man Utd?
At the moment there’s little to suggest which way Araujo will go when it comes to deciding his future, but much of it will surely come down to Barca’s situation at the end of the season.
If Xavi can turn things around on the pitch and the club’s status off it allows Araujo to accept a new deal that doesn’t involve a pay cut, there should be every chance of him agreeing to stay put in Spain.
However, the deep pockets of Man City and Man Utd could prove far more tempting if Barca can’t get themselves back to winning way before too long.
