How much is Ronald Araujo’s release clause at Barcelona?
FT Desk
- Updated: 6 Apr 2022 18:23 BST
- 3 min read
Ronald Araujo has a release clause in his new Barcelona contract worth a staggering €1 billion.
According to multiple reports in Spain and beyond, Araujo has agreed to extend his deal with Barcelona until the summer of 2026.
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The new contract should be officially announced shortly.
The 22-year-old Uruguay international centre-back has established himself as a regular at Camp Nou over the past 18 months, featuring on 73 occasions for the first team since arriving from Boston River in 2020.
Araujo’s future at Barcelona had been in serious doubt as his contract was due to expire in 2023.
Contract negotiations were not initially going well, with Araujo said to be unhappy that Barcelona had offered the centre back just €3m per year.
The stopper made it clear that he desired parity with fellow young stars Pedri, Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres.
🇺🇾 @RonaldAraujo_4 speaks on his humble beginnings pic.twitter.com/FM71ubQVJ5
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 6, 2022
Barcelona also said during negotiations that if a new contract with Araujo was not agreed by the summer that they would sell him to the highest bidder in order to avoid a repeat of the situation we saw with Ousmane Dembele this year.
A number of top European clubs lined up Araujo, including Man Utd, Chelsea and PSG.
However, Araujo will now be staying at Barcelona after signing a new deal with a release clause that will scare off any team.
Barcelona will now turn their attentions to renewing the contract of fellow young star Gavi, whose own deal runs out in 2023.
The Blaugrana have been reborn in 2022 under new coach Xavi and are arguably the in-form team in Europe right now.
They have already been busy on the transfer market this year. They signed Ferran, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Adama Traore and Dani Alves for January and have already clinched the Bosman Transfers of Milan’s Franck Kessie and Chelsea’s Andreas Christensen ahead of next season.
