Ronald Araújo is one of the best center-backs in the world, but he seems somewhat unfocused lately. The defender returned a few weeks ago from an injury that kept him off the field for quite some time. Meanwhile, several of his teammates have been progressing and leaving the Uruguayan behind.
Barça is going through a great moment, and the results obtained are the perfect reflection of that. A couple of days ago, in the match against Borussia Dortmund, Ronald Araújo was one of the most criticized. Considering that there are several center-backs ahead of him right now, he could be the key piece in a great exchange.
Ronald Araújo, neither Juventus nor Bayern Munich
Ronald Araújo has been linked to various teams over the past few months, especially since summer, when it was unclear if he was going to leave. The center-back had a very tempting offer from Bayern Munich on the table, and everything pointed to him accepting it. Finally, the culé didn't move from Barça due to the injury he suffered.
During the start of the 2024-25 season, it was leaked that Juventus wanted him and was willing to go all out to secure his services. Ronald Araújo was not happy with his role in the team and was willing to accept it. In the Super Cup final, it was seen how Robert Lewandowski told him that he had to stay no matter what; which confirmed the suspicions of the Catalan fans.
Hansi Flick confirmed to him that he was part of his project, and Ronald Araújo ended up renewing with Barça, but reducing his clause to 65 million. The offer from Bayern Munich has expired, but the one from Juventus is still on the table, so the Catalans can't relax. It seems that the culés, if they let him go, would be to the Premier League, where Lewandowski's replacement plays.
Ronald Araújo is the bargaining chip
Barça knows that Lewan is facing his last seasons in the elite of football and is already considering options; one of the '9s' they like the most is Alexander Isak, from Newcastle. Meanwhile, the Magpies have shown interest in Ronald Araújo, so there could be an exchange. Alexander is around 80 million euros, and Araújo is as well, so the exchange could be made or most of the price reduced.