Barcelona identify €20 million South American winger as alternative for Nico Williams | OneFootball

Signing a new winger is one of Barcelona’s priorities in the transfer market, as the club prepare for the season ahead.

Nico Williams is currently the number one target for Barcelona, in their bid to reinforce the ranks in the offensive unit.

However, acquiring the services of the Spanish international will be tricky due to his price tag, coupled with the fact that the player is happy at Athletic Club.

Barcelona identify Plan B

Keeping that in mind, FC Barcelona have identified Maxi Araujo as a potential alternative, should the club fail in their pursuit of Nico Williams.

This is according to El Chiringuito, which suggests that Barcelona’s sporting director Deco is closely following the progress of Araujo.

A left-winger by trade, Araujo currently plies his trade for Mexican outfit Toluca. Aged 24, Araujo has featured in 59 competitive matches for Toluca since joining the club for €5.6 million.

Maxi Araujo has performed well in Copa America so far (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

During his time at Toluca, the forward has been involved in 18 goals, impressing onlookers with his productivity and ability to create chances in the final third.

Araujo’s impressive performances in Mexico have also earned him a regular berth in the Uruguayan national team, with the attacker already winning 13 caps for his country.

The forward has featured in all three of Uruguay’s Copa America matches this summer, notably racking up two goals and an assist.

How much will Araujo cost?

Given the fact that Maxi Araujo has no exposure to European football, he could be a much cheaper alternative to Nico Williams.

In fact, the report suggests Araujo has a release clause in his contract with Toluca, which is valued at around €20 million.

That is quite a reasonable amount for Barcelona, though the Catalans will be apprehensive about splashing the cash on a South American talent, especially after the way Vitor Roque and Raphinha have performed at Camp Nou.