Chelsea react quickly in response to a ‘strong offer’ from Manchester United for Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo
According to Brand (h/t Mirror), Chelsea have reportedly stepped up their pursuit of Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo. It comes after Premier League rivals Manchester United reportedly made a solid offer for the 22-year-old.
The Uruguayan professional footballer has attracted a lot of attention from the football community given his recent performances for the Catalans. One of the main reasons for the interest in his services is the situation surrounding his contract at Camp Nou.
Araujo, who was integrated into the first team set up under former manager Ronald Koeman, grew up under new boss Xavi Hernandez. The youngster has already played 65 games in all competitions to date for Blauranga in which he has scored five goals and provided one assist.
The 22-year-old’s current deal with the Camp Nou side will expire in the summer 2023. The young centre-back is yet to confirm a new deal with the La Liga club which has fueled a lot of speculation over his long-term future in Catalonia. Man Utd are now believed to have tabled a solid offer and Chelsea are unwilling to back down.
Could Ronald Araujo provide Chelsea with a long-term solution?
The West Londoners face a defensive crisis of their own. Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen have contracts that will expire at the end of the season. As no new deal has been confirmed as of yet, their departure looks more likely with each passing day.
It would be a huge blow if we lost any of these players without bringing proper backups. The Blues have Thiago Silva, Trevoh Chalobah and Malang Sarr in their squad. That being said, Silva is not getting any younger at 37 while Chalobah and Sarr are still in the early stages of their fledgling professional careers and such a step up could bring too much pressure hampering their current development.
Ronald Araujo has shown great composure at the back for Barcelona this season. At the age of 22, the Uruguayan has already gained considerable experience at the top and could be a long-term asset to the Stamford Bridge side.
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With all these aspects in mind, the Blues are most likely to tap into the upcoming transfer window for a new centre-back. While Araujo could be a great acquisition, Marina Granovskia would have an uphill battle if she wanted to lure the 22-year-old to Chelsea.
