Man Utd given 'hands off' warning over €1 BILLION Varane alternative

Robin Bairner

• 22 Jan 2024 01:09 CST
• 7 min read

Manchester United have been told by Barcelona to forget about the prospect of signing Ronald Araujo.

The Uruguay centre-back is one of the Barca stars who has been touted for a transfer to ease the club’s difficult financial position, with Man Utd positioning themselves for a potential deal.

Bayern Munich have also been linked with the Uruguay international, with both clubs eyeing a big-money summer move for the 24-year-old.

Deco, the sporting director of the Blaugrana, has come out and announced that the player is not for sale.

“He’s a key player in Barcelona’s present and future. We’re not considering selling him, we want him to be happy, and this is shown on a day-to-day basis,” he said.

“There is nothing to talk about. The important thing is that he’s here with hunger and with heart.”

Barcelona’s difficult financial position has been highlighted by their struggle to register Araujo’s new contract, which was eventually achieved, tying the player to the club until 2026. His release fee is reportedly €1 billion, giving the Camp Nou outfit full power over the player’s future for the next couple of years.

Man Utd’s Varane alternative

Man Utd are in the market for a centre-back and Araujo fits the bill of the type of player they need to replace any of their regular players in this role.

In particular, Raphael Varane has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford, with the 30-year-old having reportedly fallen out with manager Erik ten Hag.

Stylistically, he is similar to Araujo, who could come in and offer a like-for-like replacement. The Uruguayan could feasibly replace any of United’s our centre-backs, though.

But while Man Utd might be keen on the Barcelona defender, a move to Old Trafford is certainly not optimal for the centre-back.

Data analytics firm SciSports suggest Barca is Araujo’s best club, giving them a Club Fit score of 86, with United trailing on 69.

Bayern Munich, meanwhile, get a score of 77, excelling particularly in the development opportunities that they will be able to give the player.

By the time the summer transfer window rolls around, though, and the Araujo chase is fully on, Man Utd will be hopeful that Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made them a more attractive sporting destination for the Barcelona star.