‘We want him to be happy’: Barcelona director reveals club’s stance on United-linked ace

Barcelona’s sporting director Deco has revealed the club’s stance on sought-after ace Ronald Araujo. 

Florian Plettenberg of Sky Germany broke the news of Manchester United’s reported interest in the centre-back earlier this month, with Bayern Munich also keen to strike up a deal.

He claimed that the clubs would be made to pay over €80 million if they wanted to hash out an agreement with Barcelona in the winter which, for United, is almost entirely impossible given their financial status in the current window; Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s 25% stake is still in the process of being ratified by the Premier League so his hands are tied when it comes to aiding Erik ten Hag’s squad over the next fortnight.

Numerous reports have suggested that the manager is keen on overseeing a defensive revamp in the summer. Raphael Varane is set to leave when his contract expires, and Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire could be made available to raise funds for a potential overhaul.

Barca chief makes Araujo stance clear

However, Araujo is now unlikely to be part of that. Deco touched on the matter following the Catalan side’s 4-2 win over Real Betis on Sunday, saying (via 90min): “He is one of Barca’s key players of the present and future. We are not considering selling him, we want him to be happy and this is shown on a day-to-day basis. There is nothing to talk about. The important thing is that he is here with hunger and heart.”