Transfer News: Chelsea to get Ronald Araujo update within ten days as contract talks set with Barcelona
According to the Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo (h/t The Express), Chelsea will receive an update regarding the future of Ronald Araujo within ten days as contract talks are set to take place with Barcelona. The English club is keeping tabs on the situation to make their case in case of a favourable outcome.
Araujo will enter the final year of his current contract this summer which pushes his future at Camp Nou into uncertain waters. Barca have been trying to tie him down on a new deal for a long time, but they have failed to agree to terms with the central defender so far. However, crucial discussions are set to be held “in the next ten days” between his agent and the club’s representatives.
The Uruguayan prefers to stay at Camp Nou moving forward, but he wants the new offer to match his contributions to the team. He could be in line to leave this summer if the Blaugrana side cannot meet his demands this time around. The Blues will contemplate a move for the centre-back if the result aligns in their favour.
Do Chelsea have a chance?
Our pursuit to sign the 23-year-old would probably be influenced by the update we would receive after ten days. The centre-back currently prefers to stay with the La Liga side, which in and of itself is a roadblock for us. Not to mention, he cannot be swayed by money either as he just wants to feel valued rather than the substantial offers that he could receive from the other interested parties.
It is really difficult to see a positive outcome for us going by the above information alone. What’s more, the Catalans’ president Joan Laporta has revealed that contract negotiations are “on the right track”, dealing more blow to Thomas Tuchel’s side. On top of that, it is claimed that there is “good harmony” between Barca and the La Liga ace despite not reaching an agreement.
However, things could always take a turn for the better, so it would be best on our part to keep a close eye on the situation. But we would still need to be wary of Arsenal and Manchester United, who are also in the transfer race to secure the signature of the South American, according to ESPN (h/t The Express).
Defence is a high-risk area for us with each passing day, considering how Antonio Rudiger, Cesar Azpilicueta and Andreas Christensen are in the final six months of their current deals. Losing all three of them could be detrimental at a time when we have been financially affected by the UK Government’s sanctions.
Due to the current restrictions, we can neither renew the Chelsea trio’s contracts nor look to bring in potential replacements like Araujo. Let’s hope that the ownership uncertainty will be solved soon enough so that we can overcome this current plight. As for the Barca star, we need to wait and see the outcome of the contract talks after ten days.
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At 23, the South American defender has a long way to go before he enters his peak years. And those who have watched him this season would probably agree that he has been one of the most impressive defenders in Spain so far. While it may look like a tough deal to complete right now, crazier things have happened in football.