One aspect of Barcelona defender’s new contract remains shrouded in mystery | OneFootball

On Thursday, FC Barcelona were finally able to meet one of their main objectives for the short-term as the defender Ronald Araujo signed his new contract that will keep him associated with the Catalan club till 2031.

The Uruguayan’s previous contract was going to end in 2026, and thus renewing him was one of the priority objectives for the Blaugranes as he would have been left with only one year on his contract at the end of this season, and their margin for negotiation for a potential sale would have become very limited.

But luckily, after a lengthy and complicated process of negotiations, Barcelona have been able to tie him down for a considerable period of time.

However, as SPORT has noted, one aspect of Araujo’s new contract is still shrouded in mystery, as his new release clause has not been revealed by the Catalan club.

While the release clause itself is a mystery, it is rather easy to understand why this essential aspect of the defender’s new contract has not been revealed.

Previously, his release clause stood at around €1 billion, as Barcelona wanted to ward off interest from other big European clubs.

However, one of the factors that allowed the two parties to break the recent impasse in their contract renewal negotiations was this reduction, as he did not want to remain tied down by such a high release clause.

This desire also reflects his lack of satisfaction with his role in the team as Pau Cubarsi and Inigo Martinez have been the starting center-backs for Flick and Araujo wants to keep his options open in case his situation does not improve and he could opt to leave in summer.

But despite this situation, the new contract is beneficial for both parties, as Araujo will have the option of leaving the club if he remains unsatisfied with his situation, while Barcelona will also not have to be afraid of losing such a high-value asset for free.