According to Sergi Sole’s report in Mundo Deportivo, Premier League side Chelsea are interested in signing Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo.
It is no secret that Araujo’s immediate future at Barcelona has been a topic of ongoing discussion.
Many within the club are closely watching the situation of the Uruguayan defender, who has a contract with Barcelona until 2026. However, there has not been much progress in renewing this contract.
Chelsea ready to present an offer for Araujo
Chelsea recently announced that Mauricio Pochettino will not be their coach next season. Despite this, though, the club has already made an offer to Araujo, regardless of who takes over as the new manager.
It is said that the Blues are seeking a high-profile replacement for Thiago Silva, who announced he would be leaving at the end of April after four seasons with the team.
Despite being 39 years old, Silva has been a key player in Chelsea’s defence, starting in 28 out of 31 league games this season.
Chelsea believe Araujo is ready to lead their defence and is aware that they are not the only ones interested in him.
What about Bayern Munich?
It is to be noted that Bayern Munich made a strong attempt to sign Araujo during the winter transfer window.
The Uruguayan even spoke with Bayern’s coach, Thomas Tuchel, before Christmas and was open to moving to the Bundesliga.
Now, although Barcelona have declared Araujo non-transferable, the situation could change if a substantial offer is made and Araujo shows interest in leaving.
In February and March, Barcelona made efforts to present a clear contract extension offer to Araujo, which would be valid from April 2022 and include a termination clause of €1,000 million.
Joan Laporta personally ensured that the proposal was delivered directly to Araujo without any intermediaries.
Despite these efforts, there has been no change in the situation, and top European clubs are actively pursuing the highly sought-after centre-back.
