At the moment we are talking, there is no doubt that Ronald Araujo is Barcelona's most fit center-back. The qualities of the player have stood out in almost every match, despite the poor performances of the Spanish club. The Uruguayan has it all, he is physically strong, owns the ball well and is one of the players who contributes the most on the field. But Araujo is also a potential danger to opponents in attack, especially from standard kicks.
And of course, the impressive performances of the defender have attracted the attention of many European clubs, but the "big" ones are Chelsea and Liverpool.
Barça bought the player's card for only 1.7 million euros, and now wants to extend the contract with Araujo. The defender's current contract with the club expires in 2023, but the Catalans' plans for a new contract with the footballer could be broken by offers coming from England.
Negotiations have started between the club and the player, and relations between the parties are good. Araujo is extremely grateful to Barça, but he is not ruling out the possibility of signing a better contract in financial terms, elsewhere.
The Spaniards meanwhile are aware of the interest from England. Liverpool and Chelsea are ready to take concrete steps next summer, when the player moves to the final year of his contract. Given the economic level of the clubs, it is clear that the English can offer the player more money than Barça.
There is no doubt that Araujo wants to stay in Spain, but he is paid almost 10 times less than some of his colleagues in defense. Barça will try to convince him by giving him an important role and more responsibility on the field, but in the Premier League, elite teams pay a lot of money for defenders of Araujo caliber.
