Barcelona is reportedly open to the idea of selling star defender Ronald Araujo. The center-back is widely regarded as one of the top players in his position in all of Europe. Nevertheless, the Catalan club currently finds itself in financial trouble and will likely need to continue creating revenue this summer.



According to <a href="https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/39721921/barcelona-open-araujo-transfer-right-offer-sources" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESPN</a>, Barcelona would potentially sanction a sale of Araujo for any bid reaching around $109 million. <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/bayern-munich-tv-schedule/">Bayern Munich</a> was previously linked with a surprise move for the Uruguayan star, but a bid ultimately never came during the January transfer period. The <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/la-liga-tv-schedule/">La Liga</a> side, however, does believe that the German giants will target the defender come summertime.



The 25-year-old defender signed his most recent <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/barcelona-tv-schedule/">Barcelona</a> deal nearly two years ago. His current contract does not expire until June of 2026. The Spanish club added a $1.1 billion release clause in the agreement as well. Nevertheless, interested clubs do not regularly meet these astronomical release clauses.



<h2>Club currently experiencing money issues and needs extra funds</h2>



Araujo has been a mainstay in manager Xavi’s defense this season. He also featured in the starting lineup for a massive <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/champions-league-tv-schedule/">Champions League</a> clash against <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/napoli-tv-schedule-for-viewers-in-united-states/">Napoli</a> on Tuesday. Barcelona eventually won the match 3-1, subsequently advancing to the quarterfinals of the competition.



After the victory, Araujo answered questions about his fairly uncertain future with his current team. “My future depends on the club,” the center-back <a href="https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/39721921/barcelona-open-araujo-transfer-right-offer-sources" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a> reporters. “Everyone knows that I am happy at Barca. And I am really grateful to [coach] Xavi for the faith he has placed in me.”



While Araujo wants to stay, Barcelona may sell the defender due to the aforementioned money issues. LaLiga officials <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/barcelona-hit-with-financial-fair-play-violation-and-fine-20230103-WST-414235.html">previously charged</a> the team with Financial Fair Play (FFP) violations in early 2023. As a result, the reigning Spanish champions have been attempting to make additional revenue.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="670" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20240313_WST_494845_Araujo-Cubarsi-1200x670_67f9cff1.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=670" alt="" class="wp-image-494871" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/03/Araujo-Cubarsi-1200x670.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/03/Araujo-Cubarsi-300x168.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/03/Araujo-Cubarsi-768x429.jpg 768w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/03/Araujo-Cubarsi.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></figure>



A large chunk of this creation of funds came during the previous summer’s transfer market. Barcelona sold several stars in 2023 such as Ousmane Dembele, Antoine Griezmann, and Franck Kessie. Offloading the trio made the club around $90 million. Yet, the Spanish side is not going to stop selling players just yet. La Liga president Javier Tebas recently <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/laliga-president-says-barcelona-should-sell-key-stars-for-money-20240301-WST-492408.html">claimed</a> that the club will likely have to sell additional stars this summer to meet the division’s spending cap.



<h2>Barcelona may already have Ronald Araujo replacement in squad</h2>



Even though Araujo is a top center-back, Barcelona has an emerging star in the position. Teenage sensation Pau Cubarsí has featured heavily for Xavi’s team since entering the fray at the start of the new year. Xavi trusted the 17-year-old as Araujo’s partner in central defense against Napoli.



Along with Cubarsí, Barcelona also has other right-footed center-backs in Jules Koundé and Andreas Christensen. As a result, the club is fairly covered in the position should it need to sell Araujo. Nevertheless, the Uruguayan is the most talented defender of the group. Barcelona would likely prefer to keep the star and would only potentially sell him because they need the money.



PHOTOS: IMAGO

Barcelona willing to sell Ronald Araujo in summer for huge price

Barcelona is reportedly open to the idea of selling star defender Ronald Araujo this summer. The Spanish club currently has money issues.

ALL POSTS TAGGED "Ronald Araujo"

News

Barcelona willing to sell Ronald Araujo in summer for huge price