Barcelona defender stalling contract renewal amidst Real Madrid interest – report | OneFootball

Ronald Araujo’s upturn has been nothing short of any revelation for Barcelona this season, but all that will come at a price for the club. According to Spanish media outlet Fichajes, Real Madrid are one of the many clubs that are interested in signing the Uruguay defender since he is unsure about his contract renewal with Barcelona.

Araujo’s current Barcelona deal runs until 2023, and while Barcelona are hopeful of settling on an agreement, their interest in bringing more defenders in the summer is proving to be the problem.

As things stand, Barça have the likes of Alessio Romagnoli, Antonio Rüdiger, Andreas Christensen and Matthias Ginter on their agenda, and Araujo knows he is at risk of losing out his place in the first team.

Despite being 22, Araujo has made waves with his scintillating performances this season and yet remains one of the lowest-paid players in the team. What he reportedly wants is to be recognised with a raise, but MARCA says Barcelona are yet to match his expectations.

This has resulted in heavy interest from across the continent. Apart from Real Madrid, the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea are both looking for central defenders and are keeping a close eye on Araujo’s situation at Barcelona. Liverpool are credited with an interest as well.

A few weeks back, Araujo was, in fact, keen on initiating contract talks with Barcelona, but an extensive evaluation of the January market forced him to wait for a little more time.

The defender is quite happy in Barcelona as he feels appreciated, but offers from elsewhere are dwindling the contractual progress. Furthermore, Araujo also expects to get a decent salary hike, but Barcelona’s economic difficulties might halt the progress there.

While the intention is to stay and become a leader in the forthcoming future, everything depends on the renewal deal Barcelona puts on the table.