Despite being one of the captains and a key part of the team for Xavi this season, the future of the defender, Ronald Araujo, is highly uncertain at Barcelona.
Last January, there was news of a strong interest in the Uruguayan defender from the German giants, Bayern Munich, who tried unsuccessfully to pull the defender away from the Catalans. Araujo’s links with Bayern have not died down in the ensuing months, and he still remains a target for the Bavarian entity.
However, Bayern Munich is not the only club trying to sign the defender, and according to Mundo Deportivo, the latest side to enter the list of the Uruguayan’s suitors is the Premier League side Chelsea.
The Blues ended 6th in the Premier League this season, and have a European spot guaranteed either in the Europa League or the Conference League, and there are several changes expected in their squad for the next season.
Firstly, the club has already announced that they have parted ways with Mauricio Pochettino, and a new head coach is yet to be appointed. But irrespective of who this new coach will be, the London club has already presented an offer to Araujo.
They want the Barcelona center-back in their squad as a replacement for Thiago Silva, who has also announced his departure from the club this summer, and who was a key defender in Pochettino’s team this season despite being 39 years old.
Chelsea believe Araujo is well-prepared to take over the role of the leader of the defense from Silva, but also understand that they will face competition from other European sides, especially Bayern Munich, even though Barcelona have Araujo on the non-transferable list.
While the amount put on the table by these big clubs can woo Barcelona to part ways with the defender, they are still trying to tie him down with a new contract. However, a conclusive agreement on this renewal is yet to be arrived at, and big European clubs continue to circle over the highly-rated defender.
