One of the most notable achievements of FC Barcelona in the recently closed winter transfer window was the successful completion of Ronald Araujo’s renewal operation, as negotiations with the center-back had been going on for quite a while, and had also been quite complicated at times.
However, despite his recovery from injury, he returned to action only at the start of 2025 after missing the entire first half of the season, and now even with his future sorted out, Diario AS notes that things are not looking too well for him at the Catalan club.
An indication of the problems he can face going forward was received in the recent game against Alaves, as the defender was substituted at half-time by Hansi Flick.
The German tactician revealed in the press conference after the game that he was taken off because of the yellow card he had been shown, but the need to have good passers could also have been a reason for Flick to introduce Eric Garcia in his stead.
The Barcelona coach seems to have identified the propensity of opposition coaches to trap Araujo and wait for him to make a faulty pass, and against Alaves, he was quick to make amends before this weakness cost his team.
Although the €55m-rated Uruguayan has improved a lot in this aspect since his move to the Catalan club, this is still a notable weakness in his game, something that can prove costly for him under Flick.
Meanwhile, Inigo Martinez, who was the starting center-back with Pau Cubarsi till his injury in the Spanish Super Cup final against Real Madrid, has also recovered. The German coach will now have to decide how he is going to distribute minutes, with Eric Garcia also gaining greater prominence in recent weeks.
The challenge for Araujo now is to reach a level of concentration and coordination that Flick’s backline demands, and the bar has been set quite high by the duo of Pau Cubarsi and Inigo Martinez.
