Barcelona want key defender to stay despite his willingness to leave – Report | OneFootball

The winter transfer market has already arrived at its halfway point and speculation about potential moves between European clubs is quite high. As is usually the case, FC Barcelona, being one of the biggest clubs in Europe, is also being linked with several moves.

There are several players associated with the Catalan side, but the operation that has generated the most interest in recent days is that for the potential departure of Ronald Araujo.

The Uruguayan has been an important defender for the Blaugranes for the last few years, but this season, he had to contend with a serious injury that kept him out for the first half of the campaign.

During this time, Inigo Martinez and Pau Cubarsi established themselves as the starting center-back duo for Hansi Flick.

Thus, his importance for Barcelona has declined somewhat and his contractual situation has also made his future at the club quite uncertain, as he is yet to agree to a renewal with only one and a half years left on his contract.

In such a context, he has been strongly linked with a move to Juventus in January, and the player himself is reportedly willing to undertake such a move.

However, according to SPORT, Barcelona are clear that Araujo is an important player for them, and thus they want him to stay. Still, if he himself asks for a move, he will be allowed to leave, albeit for a significant offer that is not less than €50 million.

This sum is significantly higher than the one Juventus offered the Blaugranes in the first proposal they sent for the defender. The Old Lady has also proposed a loan offer with a mandatory purchase option, and Barcelona believe now is the best time to sell him. However, a final decision in this regard is yet to be made.

One factor that can affect the outcome of this operation is the injury suffered by Inigo Martinez, as Hansi Flick is now even more reluctant to part ways with the Uruguayan center-back as he is the best-suited defender to replace the injured Spaniard in his backline.