Barcelona want to resolve €70 million-rated defender’s renewal before end of season

Over the past week, there has once again been a lot of chatter about the future of Barcelona defender and third captain Ronald Araujo.

The 25-year-old centre-back is one of the most vital cogs in the team currently and is seen as an integral part for the present and the future.

However, Bayern Munich are strongly interested in signing him and have been chasing his acquisition since the January transfer window.

The Bavarians see Araujo as a priority target for the summer and are planning to raise funds to make a move for him amid claims that Barça might sell the Uruguayan for €100 million.

Barcelona want to renew Araujo before end of season

However, now, SPORT reports that Barcelona are not looking to sell Araujo in the summer. In fact, the Catalans intend to hand him a new contract and resolve the matter of his future before the end of the season.

Araujo signed a new contract with Barcelona in 2022, committing his future to the club until 2026. The 25-year-old had the opportunity to leave before that but opted to stay at the club of his heart.

Araujo even accepted lower wages on his new deal owing to the Catalans’ financial situation. However, with interest from Bayern Munich growing, the Blaugrana are eager to tie him down to a new deal with a salary that reflects his status in the team.

Barcelona want to renew Araujo at the earliest. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Barça are fighting for more salary margin and sporting director Deco has made it a priority to secure the centre-back’s continuity. The next few months will be decisive because the matter must be settled before 30 June to avoid problems.

What has Araujo said?

Speaking in an interview earlier this week, Ronald Araujo, whose market value stands at €70 million, made it abundantly clear that he is happy at Barcelona and is not looking for an exit.

“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,” he said.

Araujo’s position is clear and he hopes that Barça can face this new renewal with a full agreement.

*Player valuation in title obtained from Transfermarkt.com on date of publication