Barcelona defender gives the go-ahead to Serie A move | OneFootball

Despite the defensive frailties that Barcelona have occasionally shown so far this season, it seems as though the first departure from the club in this January transfer window is set to be a defensive one.

As per Cadena SER, who are sourcing from Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport, Barcelona centre-back Ronald Araújo could be set to make the move to Italian giants Juventus.

This comes right as Araújo returned from a long-term injury to make an appearance in his side’s cup tie against Barbastro on Saturday.

The Uruguayan defender has around a year and a half left on his contract at the Catalan club, meaning time is ticking for the 25-year-old to decide where his future lies.

It is likely that any move could be a loan-to-buy deal, where Juventus would take Araújo on loan before being obligated to make the move permanent in the summer.

Juventus coach Thiago Motta is looking to get the deal done as quickly as possible to provide cover for injured stars Gleison Bremer and Juan Cabal, as well as a replacement for Danilo, who is set to leave the club for nothing.

GSFN | Ciaran Currie