Man Utd face Premier League competition for Barcelona star

Jacque Talbot

• Updated: 14 Dec 2023 11:02 GMT
• 3 min read

Manchester United will face competition from Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Newcastle in their quest to sign Ronald Araujo.

The Barcelona defender has been extensively linked with a move away from Barcelona, most notably Bayern Munich, with El Nacional reporting that there are several offers on the table.

It’s thought that Joan Laporta's need for funds could see Araujo leaving, even though he is considered the leader of the defence at the Nou Camp.

There is enormous interest from Bayern Munich - but there is also a number of other sides looking to convince the Uruguayan international to abandon Xavi’s project in favour of a move away.

It’s been reported that Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel contacted Araujo by telephone last Friday, but now it’s believed that he will have to compete with five Premier League giants.

Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta would be delighted to have him - with the German in particular believing that the Reds need to bolster their backline more than anything. The hope is for Liverpool to have a reliable partner for Virgil Van Dijk, with the constant injuries of Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate not helping their cause.

Does Ronald Araujo wish to move?

Chelsea and the Red Devils are also keen on Araujo - Erik Ten Hag has endured a poor start to the season, but the report states that the club have a decent budget to bring in fresh blood next year.

Lastly, Newcastle are thought to be admirers of the defender. The club, now the richest team on the planet after the arrival of an investment fund from Saudi Arabia, led by Mohammed Bin Salman, will be looking to improve their side ahead of next year.

Araujo is not ruling out a switch and should Barcelona fail to win a trophy this season, he could be headed for the exit.