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9 months ago
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Barcelona defender and captain Ronald Araujo has provided clarification on his future amidst strong interest from Bayern Munich.
The 25-year-old centre-back remains a priority for the Bavarian giants for the summer after their failed attempt in January.
In fact, the Bundesliga champions are planning out strategies to raise the funds required to make a move for Araujo.
Conflicting updates have been coming out in the media regarding Araujo’s future, with some publications suggesting that the defender is an ‘untouchable’ while ESPN reported earlier this week that Barcelona will sell him if offers of around €100 million arrive.
Amidst all the speculations and rumours, the Barcelona third captain insisted that he is happy at the club and has a contract that runs until 2026.
“I’m very happy in Barcelona, after that I don’t know what will happen. In the media, they always ask me about Bayern Munich, but I’m very happy here and I have a contract until 2026,” Araujo told ESPN Uruguay.
There is a lot of noise surrounding the Uruguayan international, but he is focusing on the season at Barça and discussed the club’s chances against PSG in the UEFA Champions League.
“A good rival, with a great coach like Luis Enrique, and we are going to play against Manu (Ugarte, PSG’s Uruguayan midfielder). We’ll have to be attentive because they have players up front who are unbalanced,” he remarked.
Araujo’s contract runs until 2026. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)The Barcelona captain also refused to give up on the La Liga title race, vowing to fight until there is a mathematical possibility for his team.
“As long as we have a mathematical chance we’re going to fight for it, there are still a lot of points up for grabs,” he said.
“At the weekend we have a game against Atlético de Madrid where Josema (José María Giménez) is playing and he sent me messages for my birthday.”
During the past couple of seasons, there have been occasions when Araujo has been utilised at right-back by Xavi Hernandez. However, the defender made it clear that he prefers playing in the middle, saying:
“I’m playing in my natural position, which is as a central defender, because we play with three defenders at the back, and I’m more in the centre. I feel more natural in my position as a central defender.”
Discussing his performances and preparation, Araujo added: “The key to my game is to be physically fit. In recent times I’ve changed the way I work, I’ve invested a lot in that and the results are showing. I set up a workout group for myself, more individualised.
“When I had the first injury I didn’t heal very well. I didn’t have a good scar and from then on I started to drag more things around, but now I feel very good.”
