According to Spanish publication SPORT, Premier League side Manchester United are willing to go all out to try and sign Ronald Araujo from Barcelona.
Araujo is one of the most important and dependable players in the current Barcelona squad but since they are going back to the 1:1 rule, the club will have to cash in on some high-value players very soon and the first one out of the door could be Ronald Araujo.
The defender currently earns around €135,000 per week at Camp Nou but as per SPORT, Man United are ready to double his wages, if Ronald Araujo chooses to jump ship and head to the Premier League.
Will Barcelona allow such an important player to join United?
The 25-year-old is currently valued at €70 million and as per reports, Barcelona will allow him to exit if a club is ready to pay around €100 million.
Hansi Flick surely does not want to lose such an important player but if Manchester United are willing to put money on the table, there’s no way Barcelona’s management will be able to refuse a transfer.
Also, Araujo’s contract with the club expires in 2026 and if Barca want to offer him a new deal then the South American international will surely ask for an improved salary package but that’s something Barcelona just cannot afford to do right now.
So, if Man United are serious about signing the central defender for the right price, the Catalans will most likely sanction an exit.
Are Man United seriously considering the signing of Ronald Araujo?
With Raphael Varane leaving, it’s hardly a secret that Erik ten Hag is looking to sign a new centre-back and someone like Ronald Araujo will be the ideal replacement for Varane.
The defender has been with Barca’s senior side since 2020 and to date, he’s played in 150 games across all competitions. He’s also had 17 caps for Uruguay and he can very well become the long-term partner to Lisandro Martinez.
However, Man United are not ready to pay more than €60 million for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite so there’s no chance they will be willing to spend €100 million on Ronald Araujo. The new INEOS owners are not ready to cave into unrealistic demands for their transfer targets and unless Barcelona lower their demands significantly, United won’t pay up.
And since Barcelona’s only reason for selling Ronald Araujo is money, they will want to squeeze out as much money as possible from the central defender’s possible exit.
