Manchester United are reportedly interested in Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo.
The Red Devils have been defensively all over the place this season, conceding 21 goals in 16 games. In the Champions League, they are bottom of Group A having conceded a staggering 14 goals in five games. Thus, it is no secret that the Mancunian club need to sign a quality defender.
According to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Manchester United are now in talks with Ronald Araujo’s agents. The Red Devils have offered to double his wages to convince the defender about making the switch to Old Trafford, the report adds. However, they will face competition from Bayern Munich for the Uruguayan international’s signature.
Araujo, 24, has established himself as one of the best defenders in La Liga and, naturally, several European bigwigs are interested in his services. He has made a solid start to the 2023/24 season, making 14 appearances for Barcelona so far.
Ronald Araujo to Manchester United—Will he solve their defensive woes?
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag heads into the January transfer window in search of a new centre-back. Lisandro Martinez is still recovering from foot surgery, while Ten Hag doesn’t trust Raphael Varane anymore.
Owing to injury problems and indifferent form, Varane has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford and is set to be sold next year. The French World Cup winner has been frozen out by Ten Hag despite him being fit in recent weeks, with the central defender managing only 18 minutes across Man United’s last eight games. As a result, Varane has been linked with an exit, whereas Jonny Evans joined the club in the summer to add depth to the defensive ranks.
Thus, the Red Devils will have to replace them adequately, and Ten Hag seems to have set his sights on Ronald Araujo. The Uruguayan defender is a key player for Barcelona under Xavi Hernandez. He has proven his versatility by operating as a full-back as well as a centre-back in the last two seasons, and the 24-year-old could prove to be a solid, long-term acquisition for Ten Hag’s Man United.
Due to his pace, physicality, passing range and leadership qualities, Araujo could be the perfect successor for the injury-prone Varane at Old Trafford. At 24, he is still relatively young and will develop with proper coaching and experience. The Barcelona man has all the required attributes to become a world-class player in his position.
However, with the Uruguayan international having a staggering and fantastical £856million buyout clause in his contract that runs until 2026 at Camp Nou, Man United face a humongous task to sign him from Barcelona. It remains to be seen whether the Red Devils can pull off this deal and lure Araujo to Old Trafford, having failed to sign him in 2022.
