Arsenal set to miss out as Barcelona make HUGE transfer blunder

Barcelona are about to committ a massive blunder in the transfer market.

Ronald Araujo, the Barcelona centre-back who has missed all of this season so far with injury, is apparently close to an exit.

Juventus are strongly being linked with a move to Barcelona with journalist Romeo Agresti stating on X that contact between the clubs has been made and talks will happen.

Agresti's stance is backed up by numerous Catalan journalists reporting that Araujo is unhappy or frustrated at his inability to secure a new contract from Barcelona and is thinking of leaving.

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The leaks give off the sensation of a club getting ready to sell a player, which will come as a shock to Barcelona fans who saw Araujo play his first minutes of the season in the recent Copa del Rey win over Barbastro.

The Blaugrana faithful have been eagerly awaiting the Uruguayan's return to fitness because he is unquestionably their best defender.

Ronald Araujo is vitally important to Barcelona, but with finances being tight, the Camp Nou heirarchy know that his sale could fund many signings.

Still, selling a player of Araujo's immense quality when you have no readymade replacement (La Masia doesn't make 6'3 stallions in defence, unfortunately) is absolute foolishness.

For Juventus, whatever price they pay would be fair and they would have secured one of the world's very best defenders and an ideal pillar for Thiago Motta to build his new defence around.

Ronald Araujo: perfect for Arsenal

This will come as a big blow to Arsenal, who had been linked with a move for Araujo as well either in January or later in the summer.

Mikel Arteta's love of big, powerful defenders is nothing new but adding a player like Ronald Araujo to Arsenal's already stacked defence would be despicably good for the Gunners.

Araujo is a better natural defender than Saliba or Gabriel, and while he lacks the Frenchman's polish on the ball he would be a massive add for a team that is built on the strength of their defence.

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Araujo's ability to play centre-back and right-back would doubtless appeal to Arteta, because while Araujo is slightly better than Saliba and a bit better than Gabriel he is much better defensively than Jurrien Timber and Ben White.

With Araujo in the side, Arsenal would unquestionably have the best defensive unit in world football and, what's more, another giant to attack set-pieces.

Unfortunately for the Gunners it looks like they're going to miss out on a perfect defensive signing as Juve may sneak in and nab their man.