FIFA rule against Barcelona's Araujo transfer appeal

Stuart Telford

• 3 Feb 2023 22:16 GMT
• 3 min read

Julian Araujo will remain at LA Galaxy for the rest of the season after Barcelona were unsuccessful in appealing his late registration to FIFA.

Barca were relatively quiet in the winter transfer window, lightening the wage bill - and earning €4 million in transfer fees - with Memphis Depay and Hector Bellerin joining Atletico Madrid and Sporting Lisbon respectively.

No players arrived at Camp Nou, but that wasn't for the want of trying. Mexico right-back Araujo had been identified as a long-term replacement for Bellerin, and a €4m fee had been agreed between Barcelona and LA Galaxy.

READ: Barcelona were 18 seconds late in completing January signing

The Blaugrana were in the process of lodging his transfer with FIFA when their technology failed them, according to sporting director Mateu Alemany.

"We didn't arrive on time because of a computer error," he explained to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano. "It seems that the systems fell, but for only 18 seconds. We have to wait to see what FIFA decides."

FIFA not playing ball

Now world football's governing body have decided, and they have ruled against Barca.

"FIFA can confirm that the transfer of the player Julian Araujo from LA Galaxy to FC Barcelona was not completed in line with the applicable regulations," they said in a statement to ESPN.

READ: La Liga chief rules Barcelona out of Erling Haaland race

Barca have had to muddle through with Jules Kounde and Alex Balde sharing right-back responsibilities for much of this season, but the former, a €50m summer arrival from Sevilla, would prefer to play centre-back, while the latter, a recent academy graduate, is a left-back by trade.

It's a set-up Barca will have to stick with until at least next summer, at which point they could go back in for Araujo. Whether they could still get him for the same amount with the rest of world football now alerted to his potential remains to be seen.