Exclusive: Chelsea make plans to sign €50m Barcelona star as Levi Colwill replacement | OneFootball

Barcelona are about to lose Inigo Martinez to Al-Nassr, but his exit will not enough for the club to solve their registration problems. As a result, there are chances for another big player to leave before the end of the summer, and as it turns out, it could be another central defender that moves on.

Barcelona have been ready to sell one of their senior centre-backs this summer, and prior to the news that Martinez would be going, it was going to be either Ronald Araujo or Andreas Christensen that would be moving on. And while it now seems that both will be staying, that may not be the case.

Image via El Nacional

A source has indicated to Football España that Chelsea are preparing to make a concrete move for Araujo before the end of the summer transfer window. The Blues, who won the Club World Cup last month, were told this week that Levi Colwill had suffered an ACL injury, and it has already been decided that they will seek a replacement.

Chelsea believe €50m will be enough to get deal done

Chelsea regard Araujo, who was temporarily appointed as Barcelona’s captain this week, as a world class defender, and at 26, his signing would be in line with the transfer policy at Stamford Bridge. They are prepared to pay €50m to get a deal done, and there is a believe that the reigning La Liga champions would accept this – as it would allow them to ease their well-documented financial woes.

As well as Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are also showing serious interest in Araujo. Spurs see him as a key piece in their defensive rebuild, valuing his versatility and leadership qualities. Manchester United, who have a long-standing interest in the 26-year-old, are also monitoring the situation closely, but haven’t made a formal approach yet.

Barcelona braced for imminent offer from Chelsea

Chelsea are expected to submit an official bid soon. Araujo’s future will likely depend on Barcelona’s stance and how the other interested clubs decide to act in the coming weeks, but given that Martinez is about to leave, it will be tricky for the Catalans to give the green light for a sale unless a replacement can be sorted quickly.