Aston Villa Are Planning To Move In For This Barcelona Defender: What Will He Bring To Villa Park? | OneFootball

In a recent report, Sport stated that Aston Villa are planning to move in for Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo this summer. It has been claimed that the Villans are eyeing a move to secure the services of the Uruguayan centre-half later this year.

Araujo has enjoyed a solid campaign at the Catalan club after he put in a series of dominant performances for them on the defensive third of the pitch. The 25-year-old has scored one goal and grabbed a couple of assists in 37 matches for Barcelona this season across multiple competitions.

The Uruguayan talent has been a decent performer when defending inside his half as he is averaging 1.1 tackles, 0.5 interceptions and 2.5 clearances per 90 minutes in La Liga. He has even been tidy when distributing the ball from the back based on his pass success rate of 89.6% in the Spanish top flight (stats via whoscored).

His current contract at the Nou Camp will run out in the summer of 2026 which could make it difficult for the Villans to sign him on the cheap in the upcoming transfer window.

MADRID, SPAIN – APRIL 21: Ronald Araujo of FC Barcelona shows his dejection at the end of the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on April 21, 2024 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

What Will Araujo Bring To Aston Villa?

Araujo is a tough-tackling defender who can time his challenges well to earn possession back for his side on the defensive end of the field. He doesn’t mind putting his foot through the ball when the opposition are on the front foot and can use his robust 1.92m frame to dominate the opposition attackers in the air.

The Uruguayan sensation is proficient at playing his way out from the back and could be a welcome addition to Aston Villa‘s defence if Unai Emery can devise a way to get a deal done for him later this summer.

At 25, Araujo is about to enter his prime which makes him a worthy target for the West Midlands club to consider this year. He would bring more bite and steel to Emery’s backline and could help the Villans compete across all fronts over the next few years. However, only time will tell whether he can adapt to the physical side and high intensity of Premier League football if Aston Villa manage to land him this summer.