Transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano has discussed the latest on Ronald Araujo’s future as he spoke to CaughtOffside for his exclusive Daily Briefing column.
Araujo has been a key player for Barcelona for a few years now, and they won’t want to lose him to a Champions League rival in the form of Bayern Munich, with Romano admitting that Thomas Tuchel is eager to bring the Uruguay international to the Allianz Arena.
Bayern would certainly do well to land a top centre-back like Araujo in the near future, but it seems this won’t be an easy deal to get done, according to Romano’s latest information.
Although Bayern want the player, it seems his priority for now is to remain at Barcelona, while club chiefs are also eager to tie the 24-year-old down to a new deal, with everyone seemingly on the same page about the plan.
Discussing the latest on Araujo’s situation, Romano said: “I want to start today’s column by again clarifying my information on the Ronald Araujo situation. While it’s true that he’s a player Bayern Munich really like, with Thomas Tuchel really insisting for the signing, this is far from a straightforward deal for them.
“As things stand, my understanding remains that Araujo’s priority is to stay at Barcelona, while Barca also consider him a key player, so talks over a new contract will happen soon. Araujo is ready to discuss a new deal with Barca, so they are on the same page and that’s what I expect will happen.
“Of course, Araujo is a top player so it’s normal that a big club like Bayern would be interested, but there has never really been any change to the situation, despite reports. The message from the player’s camp has always been that he’s very happy at Barca, so let’s see now how contract talks will progress – it’s one of the priorities for the Barca board.”