Bayern Munich believe Barcelona captain wanted to join them in January

Ronald Araujo was a major talking point at Bayern Munich not long ago when the defender was closely linked with a move to Bavaria.

Bayern, in fact, retain their interest in the Barcelona superstar, as the club look to shore up its ranks in the defensive unit.

Although Barcelona were not running the risk of losing Araujo in the January transfer window, Bayern believe the player was certainly interested in making the move.

Araujo was willing to move in January: Bayern

In a recent report, The Athletic journalist Raphael Honigstein claimed Bayern Munich were confident that Ronald Araujo was willing to join the club in the winter transfer window.

The Bavarians had even green-lit a €80 million transfer outlay for the Uruguayan international, who was considered one of the club’s main targets in the January market.

Unfortunately, the move did not materialise. Xavi Hernandez, in particular, blocked the move as he did not want to indulge in any negotiation with Bayern Munich. He even threatened the quit if the board considered the offer.

Xavi did not want Araujo to leave in January (Photo by PAU BARRENA/AFP via Getty Images)

The German giants ended up signing Eric Dier on a six-month loan deal, which does underscore the growing influence of Harry Kane.

What’s next for Araujo?

As mentioned earlier, Xavi played a key role in blocking Araujo’s move to Bayern in January. But the Barcelona coach is leaving at the end of the season.

That should leave Araujo’s future hanging in the balance and it remains to be seen whether the new coach trusts the Uruguayan international.

Not to mention, Barcelona are still going through economic turmoil, which means Araujo’s big-money sale could be tempting, as far as the club is concerned.

Bayern, for their part, look likely to come back into the market for Araujo once the season is over.