Barcelona defender’s injury could open the door for veteran star’s registration

Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo underwent surgery on Monday for the hamstring injury he suffered earlier this month while on national team duty with Uruguay at Copa America.

Having undergone the operation successfully, Araujo is set to be sidelined for an extended period, said to be close to four months, meaning it is unlikely that the centre-back will play again before the end of the year.

While Araujo’s injury-enforced absence is a blow for Barcelona, it does open up a window of opportunity with regard to player signing and registration.

Barcelona could use Araujo’s absence to register Inigo Martinez

Now, Mundo Deportivo reports that Barcelona could take advantage of Ronald Araujo’s long-term injury absence to sign or register a new player.

The Blaugrana made use of this strategy earlier this year when Gavi was out injured to register the signing of Vitor Roque in January. And they could do so again to ensure the registration of Inigo Martinez.

Out for four months. (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

Article 77 of La Liga allows for clubs to register a different player in case of a long-term injury absence of a present squad member, subject to certain conditions.

As with Gavi, Barcelona could use 80% of Araujo’s salary. A signing that, according to the regulation itself, has several conditions.

First, ‘the registration of the substitute player will not be allowed, if the duration of his contract is longer than the next season and the club does not have a balance of the Sporting Squad Cost Limit or registration capacity for that season’.

In addition, the amount of the maximum excess ‘shall be prorated in proportion to the remaining duration of the season from the registration of the player replacing the injured player’. In this case for the entire 2024-2025 season.

For this to happen, Barcelona must prove Araujo’s injury and its duration to the La Liga Medical Commission.

This could open the door for Martinez, who signed last summer but was registered for only one season. Given the uncertainty over his registration, the Spaniard has been linked with a departure, but that could change with Araujo’s injury.