Barcelona 22-year-old starlet has great chances of making first-team breakthrough next season

Barcelona are gearing up for a difficult summer ahead. The club will not only have to find a replacement for Xavi Hernandez but also carefully assess the squad.

Barça’s objective is to reduce the salary mass while simultaneously improving the quality of the squad. Assessing the existing players at hand, therefore, could become the need of the hour.

To that end, Barcelona already have a young defensive talent ready to make his mark at Camp Nou next season. The player in question is Julian Araujo, who is currently on loan at Las Palmas.

Julian Araujo’s stellar loan spell at Las Palmas

Araujo was sent on loan to Las Palmas last season after Barcelona realised they were not in a position to hand regular minutes to the young right-back.

As a Mexican international, the club felt Araujo required regular game time at the highest level of football. As a result, he was sent on loan to Las Palmas.

Will Julian Araujo make an impact at Barcelona next season? (Photo by PAU BARRENA/AFP via Getty Images)

As we approach the final phase of the campaign, Araujo appears to have taken full advantage of his opportunities at Las Palmas.

With 21 league appearances, the right-back has become an ever-present figure in the club’s defence, impressing onlookers with his defensive solidity out wide.

Araujo ‘great prospects’ at Barcelona next season

Julian Araujo’s loan spell at Las Palmas expires at the end of the season, meaning he will return to Barcelona in the coming summer.

According to SPORT, Araujo has a considerable chance of remaining at Barcelona next season, as the club view him as an exciting candidate for the right-back position.

This comes on the back of uncertainty surrounding the right-back position at Barcelona, with the Catalans unsure of their prospects of keeping hold of Joao Cancelo.

Not to mention, Sergi Roberto is not getting any younger and is out of contract at the end of the season.

Hector Fort has enjoyed a slight breakthrough, but Barcelona could use the presence of someone like Araujo, who can offer the athleticism and solidity out wide.

However, in order to become a part of the first team next season, Araujo must make full use of the limited opportunities he will receive in the coming summer.