Aston Villa issue response to links with Barcelona star | OneFootball

Premier League outfit Aston Villa have on Wednesday moved to issue their response to recent transfer links with a leading member of the defensive ranks at Barcelona.

The player in question? Ronald Araújo.

Recent days had of course seen the claim pushed heavily in the media that Aston Villa had set their sights firmly on Araújo’s signature, with a view to next season.

Ahead of a return to the Champions League in 2024/25, the Claret and Blue were reported to be seeking out reinforcements at the back, with the name of Barcelona’s stalwart having been positioned at the very top of the list.

Some outlets even went as far as to claim that contacts were already up and running between the respective boards at the two clubs.

If the latest word stemming from Villa’s camp on Wednesday is anything to go by, however, then as much could not be further from the truth.

As revealed by journalist Helena Condis of COPE, citing official sources at Villa Park, the club’s links to Araújo have been labelled an “epic and incredible invention”.

It is added that Unai Emery considers his squad to be well stocked in the centre-back department, with any and all claims of interest in Araújo therefore ‘discarded’.

Conor Laird | GSFN