Chelsea ready to spend substantial money on 25-year-old South American ace

Chelsea are keen on signing the Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo at the end of the season.

The 25-year-old Uruguayan defender has been linked with the move away from Barcelona and the Blues are prepared to spend a substantial amount of money for him. According to Spanish publication SPORT, they are ready to offer him a lucrative contract as well.

Araujo has established himself as a key player for Barcelona and his performances have been outstanding in the Spanish league over the years. There is no doubt that he is good enough for the Premier League as well and he could be a key player for Chelsea. The Blues need to bring in defensive reinforcements after the departure of Thiago Silva and the 25-year-old South American defender would be the ideal option for them.

He is versatile enough to operate as a central defender as well as the right back. He could prove to be an indispensable asset for Chelsea if he manages to adapt to English quickly.

Can Chelsea convince Ronald Araujo to join?

It will be interesting to see if Barcelona are prepared to sanction his departure in the coming weeks. Chelsea certainly have the financial muscle to offer a premium for him. They will need to improve their squad if they want to get back into the Champions League and push for trophies once again. Signing a quality defender like Araujo will certainly help them tighten up defensively.

The Blues will not be able to provide him with European football next season and it remains to be seen whether the defender is prepared to join them. He might want to join the club capable of winning major trophies and Chelsea are not quite at that level yet. They are going through a period of rebuild and they do not have a manager either.

Mauricio Pochettino has been shown the door, and the Blues are yet to bring in a replacement.