Man United circling for major Barcelona ace as contract discussions stall
Man United might end up knowing even before the end of this season whether they’ve managed to land one of Barcelona’s brightest stars.
The Catalans are still hamstrung by their incredible debt, and Financial Fair Play rules mean that a sale of at least one of their star names is more than likely.
According to Sport, the decision that Ronald Araujo has to make needs to be communicated to the club during May.
Man United could land Ronald Araujo
The Uruguayan has been a stand out for Xavi Hernandez’s side over the past few seasons, though his regrettable sending off was a chief reason why the Blaugranes were eventually overhauled by Paris Saint-Germain in their recent Champions League semi-final.
His loss would certainly be felt by the Catalans, though it’s possible that they would be able to cover for it.
Jules Kounde could revert to his more natural centre-back role rather than being pushed out to the right in order to accommodate Araujo and Pau Cubarsi as the preferred pairing in the centre.
Joao Cancelo, should he be retained, could then move to right-back and Alejandro Balde, on his return from injury, will again take up the left-back slot.
That needs to be in the club’s thinking, however, their clear preference is to retain Araujo, given that Sport report that they have offered him a new contract, albeit not at the level of salary that he could get elsewhere.
It’s the remuneration that might be the one issue that turns the player’s head, and with Man United’s new part-owners, INEOS, seemingly ready to do whatever is necessary to get them back amongst Europe’s elite, Old Trafford then becomes a viable destination for the defender.
Not to mention how much he would be needed by the club, given their struggles in central defence this season.
Bayern Munich might yet have something to say about the situation which should be brought to a head within a few weeks.
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