Over the past couple of weeks, there has been a lot of speculation about Bayern Munich wanting to sign Barcelona captain and defensive superstar Ronald Araujo.
The 24-year-old Uruguayan international is widely regarded as one of the best centre-backs in the game currently and has been one of the Catalans’ top performers for the past couple of seasons.
Bayern Munich have taken a serious liking to Araujo and have made him a top target for 2024, either in January or in the summer window.
Araujo could use Bayern interest to earn new contract
Despite the interest from the Bavarian giants, Ronald Araujo is not interested in leaving Barcelona and wants to succeed at the club.
As such, journalist Christian Falk (h/t Barçacentre) is reporting that the Uruguayan defender could leverage the interest from Bayern Munich to secure a new contract at Barcelona.
Araujo signed a new contract with the Catalans in 2022, committing his future to the club until the summer of 2026, with the deal being registered with La Liga only this year.
However, given Barça’s economic conditions, the defender accepted a lower salary compared to what some of the other players earn at the club.
As such, the interest from Bayern could lead to Araujo and Barcelona entering into negotiations over a new deal with improved wages reflecting his status within the squad.
Bayern determined to sign Araujo
Despite the stances of Araujo and Barcelona, Bayern Munich remain determined to try and snare him away from Catalonia.
Manager Thomas Tuchel and director Christoph Freund see the Barça captain as the top target and have already made attempts to change his stance.
Furthermore, reports suggest that the Bundesliga champions believe Araujo can be signed for €80 million next summer.
But, as things stand, Araujo and Barcelona remain firm on furthering their partnership and the interest from Bayern could lead to a new deal for the defender.
