Juventus is poised to launch a €50 million bid for Barcelona ace, aiming to secure his signature in a blockbuster move.
The Italian giants are looking to strengthen their squad with an experienced leader.
The experience, versatile playing style, and leadership abilities of the player synergize perfectly with their boxer ambitions.
The player in question is Ronald Araujo, Barcelona’s captain, as reported by Diario Sport.
The 26-year-old Uruguayan center-back has been a lynchpin for the Catalan club’s defense, with his imposing stature, ability to win aerial duels, and capacity to feature as a right-back.
Yet, Araujo has a contract which runs to 2031, but early in July, there was some speculation around a temporary clause in Araujo’s contract which would reduce his release clause to around €65-70 million.
For their part, Juventus have identified this window as a potential opportunity to secure Araujo’s signature, as they are aware of the club’s financial woes, and with Araujo, they have stockpiled center-backs.
Nevertheless, even with Araujo’s new release clause, Barcelona does not seem willing to let him go, and sporting director Deco described Araujo as one of the best defenders in the world.
Araujo, for his part, has expressed that he is happy at Barcelona, but after underwhelming for Hansi Flick in Garrone’s final months at the club, and significant interest from clubs like Manchester United and Bayern Munich, there is a chance he could look elsewhere.
Juventus have a significant challenge in trying to persuade both Araujo the player and Araujo the club to let him depart, compounded by Barcelona, who want to attract high-profile players like Nico Williams, and would likely want to sell Araujo to free up cash.
However, this transfer is likely to be a major story as the transfer window opens on July 1.
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