Barcelona captain’s sale could be key to the registration of Nico Williams | OneFootball

Barcelona will certainly make a big sale in the central-defence department this summer as confirmed by sporting director Deco who recently acknowledged the presence of an extra player in the department.

Andreas Christensen, as it stands, appears to be the most likely to leave as he nears the end of his contract and Barcelona see his injury record make him a liability more than an asset. At this point, however, nothing can be said with certainty.

Barcelona need sales to clear space on the salary bill and register new signings in Joan Garcia and Nico Williams, and AS now relays that Ronald Araujo is indeed still an option who can leave this summer.

Departure not ruled out

While Araujo has indeed been one of Barcelona’s biggest bets and most important defenders in recent years, the rise of Pau Cubarsi and Inigo Martinez saw him struggle to win back his place in the team after his return from injury at the beginning of this year.

The player was even close to leaving the club in January with Juventus reportedly having an agreement with him at the time.

Persuasion from his teammates and Martinez’s injury in the Super Cup, however, turned his situation around and the Uruguayan ended up staying.

Araujo’s release clause drops to €60 million in early July. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

With Christensen and Eric Garcia taking minutes off him as part of Flick’s rotations towards the end of the season, especially after Araujo’s glaring errors in the UCL defeat to Inter Milan, the player’s future once again is unclear.

At this point, it is all but certain that he will not start the next season as a regular starter. While he does indeed wish to stay and fight for a spot, the glaring reality of his situation could hit him and make the captain consider a departure from the club.

Moreover, his release clause drops to just €60 million next month and it is very likely that he will get several offers in the inflated transfer market. After all, that sum is a bargain for a defender of his quality.

Barcelona have been very sharp with their decisions this summer and have not looked into the dressing room or players’ opinions before taking on operations.

Should Deco continue his approach, his approving Araujo’s departure in exchange for a sizeable sum and space on the wage bill cannot be ruled out.