There is genuine concern within FC Barcelona about the plans for the summer transfer window. The Blaugranes are aware that they will face various challenges in terms of recruitment already. However, Barcelona also know that the need to reinforce the team is as great as ever.
Certain positions understandably need more attention than others, and that is where Barcelona will primarily put their focus towards. One of those positions is the right-back one, where only Joao Cancelo provides the first team with experienced quality.
Moreover, with Cancelo still just being on loan, Barcelona are not exactly guaranteed his continuity. Thus, hiring a new right-back is a priority for Barça in the summer. Fortunately for them, they had options to choose from who could arrive as free transfers.
As per SPORT, Barcelona have decided to bring in 22-year-old Julian Araujo as their first arrival of the summer. The Mexican fullback is currently on loan at Las Palmas in La Liga, and his growth under the tutelage and mentorship of Garcia Pimienta has truly helped him adapt well to Spanish football.
While negotiations with Manchester City for Joao Cancelo will be inevitable, Barcelona will at least have the guarantee of a new Araujo in the team. His performances have been convincing enough this season, and Deco seems rather pleased. Barcelona made sure to keep proper tabs on him, courtesy of the work done by Bojan Krkic.
However, Julian Araujo was not the only player Barcelona had considered for this acquisition. Sergino Dest, currently at PSV in the Netherlands, is also making quite the progress. He is seen as a player who also deserved consideration but the plans for him are reportedly different.
Dest is currently valued higher than Julian Araujo, and Barcelona are focusing on this a lot. In his current loan deal with PSV, the American fullback has a €10 million buy option that the Dutch side is quite tempted to activate.
In Araujo’s case, however, Barcelona believe they can help the player develop further and become a useful asset to the Catalan giants.
