Barcelona captain’s long-term renewal imminent after new meeting; could be announced next week | OneFootball

In a major development, SPORT’s Toni Juanmarti reports that FC Barcelona sporting director Deco and the agents of defender Ronald Araujo have made substantial progress on the extension of his contract.

The 25-year-old Uruguayan international’s current contract expires in 2026 and talks over a renewal appeared to have hit a standstill, which led to speculations about a potential January move to Juventus.

However, having already convinced Araujo to stay put at the club, Deco has now made significant strides in securing his long-term future.

Renewal close after latest meeting

Indeed, in a meeting held in Barcelona in recent hours, important steps have been taken toward securing a long-term renewal that would confirm Araujo as one of the key players in the project led by coach Hansi Flick.

According to the report, although some final details still need to be agreed upon, both parties are confident that Araujo will commit to Barcelona for many more years, following recent discussions.

Staying put for a long time. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

This will not be a short-term renewal designed to prevent him from leaving as a free agent in the summer of 2026; rather, it will be a strong sporting commitment to position him as one of the team’s leaders.

Although just a few days ago it seemed that the Uruguayan’s future was moving away from the Catalan club, Araujo now appears set to continue as a Blaugrana, that too for a long time.

In fact, the report further states that the agreement could be officially announced as early as next week.

As reported previously, Deco convinced Araujo to snub Juventus and stay at Barcelona by appealing to his trophy ambitions as well as promising a lucrative contract with a reasonable release clause.

Following the latest meeting between the two parties, a full agreement over Araujo’s renewal appears imminent.