Barcelona injury blow could scupper Juventus January plans | OneFootball

With Inigo Martinez ruled out with injury, Juventus risk missing out on his Barcelona teammate Ronald Araujo.

The Bianconeri have identified the Uruguayan as their priority target to bolster their depleted backline in January. Fabrizio Romano revealed that the two clubs are set to have direct talks this week as they attempt to seal the deal. The Italian journalist claims Barca are willing to either sell their defender or send him out on loan with an obligation to buy.

The 25-year-old has been a stalwart at Camp Nou over the past few years, but he suffered an injury that kept him out of action during the first half of the season. This allowed Martinez to establish a solid partnership with Pau Cubrasi at the back, so the Catalans were willing to part ways with Araujo, especially with his contract expiring in June 2026.

But while Barcelona enjoyed a glorious Sunday night in Riyadh as they beat their arch-rivals Real Madrid 5-2 in the final of the Spanish Super Cup, their evening was blighted by an injury to Martinez which could keep him on the sidelines for around a month.

(Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)

The Spaniard was forced to leave the pitch in the 28th minute, with Hansi Flick resorting to the returning Araujo who was even handed the captain’s armband from Raphinha.

So according to TuttoJuve, the Bianconeri fear their plans could go down the drain, as the Spanish giants might be reluctant to offload Araujo with Martinez and Cubrasi both on the treatment table.

Therefore, Juventus Football Director Cristiano Giuntoli is keeping a close eye on the situation as he tries to understand if this new development will delay their plans to lure the Uruguay international or scupper it altogether.

Meanwhile, the Serie A giants continue to be linked with a host of other central defenders, including the likes of Benfica’s Antonio Silva, Feyenoord’s David Hancko and Milan’s Fikayo Tomori.