Transfer News: Manchester United in pole position for Barcelona star Ronald Araujo
According to the Spanish outlet MARCA, Manchester United are in the “pole position” to sign Barcelona centre-back Ronald Araujo despite Pep Guardiola engaging in talks with his agent. He is arguably the best central defender at Camp Nou, so getting his signature would be a massive boost for any team.
Araujo will enter the final year of his contract in the summer transfer window, making him an exciting prospect for all the interested parties. A host of clubs are monitoring his situation with Guardiola, having been in a meeting with the player’s agent Edmundo Kabchi.
Man United are the club that is “bidding harder” to get the Uruguayan’s services next term. They are also willing to make a large investment to beat the competition to his signature. Renewal talks over a new contract are underway, but no agreement has been reached just yet.
Potential summer signing?
While the centre of the defence should not be the priority area that we should be focusing on next summer, it is still a key position that needs reinforcement. Eric Bailly and Phil Jones need to be moved out eventually, and quality replacements to the team are necessary when the current campaign ends.
It is still unknown what the topic of discussion was between the Manchester City coach and Kabchi. However, we have to be wary about a worst-case scenario, so it is good to see that we are pushing the most to sign the La Liga defender. The board are taking the right decision by setting aside a large investment, but that should not come at the cost of bolstering the midfield.
We cannot overlook the competition from the other clubs, namely from the Premier League, which creates the need to get this transfer done as soon as possible. We are also boosted by the fact that there has been no progress in contract negotiation, giving us more cards to play next summer.
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The 22-year-old is one for the future while possessing the quality to compete for a starting spot at this point as well. He has stood out in a Blaugrana defence that has struggled over the last few years. If he could perform well in an unfavourable environment, his level of performance could increase even further in a stable backline.
The Barca star could be one of the crucial components for us moving forward as we try to extinguish our title drought and return to the glory days. For that to happen, though, we must first get him in the bag, which remains to be seen when the summer transfer window arrives.
