Barcelona will only sell key duo if the offers are of XXL size – report

It is obvious that Hansi Flick and Deco are keen on keeping Ronald Araujo and Frenkie de Jong at Barcelona, but the club hasn’t completely closed the door on the possibility of these players leaving, reports Mundo Deportivo.

Barcelona are struggling with ongoing financial issues, which means they might need to sell a high-value player to meet financial regulations. 

Despite this issue, though, Flick and Deco are both very reluctant to let them go, as for the German, a player like Araujo is crucial because his teams often play aggressively and need strong defenders. 

On the other hand, de Jong is seen as a key player in a double-pivot midfield setup, where he can shine alongside another top-level midfielder who is more defensive-minded. Given these reasons, Flick and Deco are determined to keep Araujo and de Jong. 

Barcelona will not stand in an offer of XXL size

In the past few weeks, interest in Araujo as soared as big clubs like Bayern Munich and Chelsea are said to be interested. In fact, recent reports have suggested that Araujo is also wanted by the Saudi teams. 

Barcelona will only sell Araujo and De Jong if there is a big offer. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Be that as it may, Barcelona are sticking to Araujo’s release clause of €1 billion. They are not willing to consider offers in the range of €70 or €80 million. 

They point out that Chelsea recently spent €133 million on Moises Caicedo and €121 million on Enzo Fernandez, players who are not as accomplished as Araujo and de Jong.

Barcelona do have a point

Both Araujo and de Jong have contracts that expire in 2026, and while Barcelona want to extend their contracts, they understand that both players might want to see how Flick’s plans for the team develop or wait for better offers. 

Still, Barcelona are clear about wanting to retain their top players, especially since selling them for less than their worth would only lead to spending more in the market later.

In summary, while Flick and Deco are focused on keeping Araujo and de Jong, Barcelona’s financial problems could force them to consider selling one of these key players. 

However, they are determined to hold onto them unless they receive a truly exceptional offer, as they believe that replacing these players would be even more costly and complicated.