Barcelona stunned by star defender's 'agreement' of loan move to Juventus | OneFootball

Barcelona centre-back Ronald Araujo has reportedly agreed a move to Italian giants Juventus, news of which has come as a complete shock in the Catalan capital.

The towering defender only made his first appearance of the season in Barcelona's Copa del Rey thrashing of fourth-tier Barbastro in January after recovering from a serious hamstring injury. Araujo proudly captained the club in that 4-0 win, but is yet to sign a new deal with the Spanish outfit.

The Uruguay international has a deal which expires in June 2026 and has been in discussions over an extension since the summer. Barcelona's perilous finances hamper any offer they can present, which has opened the door for the likes of Bayern Munich to monitor the situation while talks stall.

Now, Juventus appear to not only be favourites in the race for Araujo, but have already agreed personal terms with the player, who is open to a loan move in January according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

Ronald Araujo made his return to the Barcelona first team last weekend / Pedro Salado/GettyImages

Shortly after the Italian publication dropped that bombshell, the Spanish outlet MARCA reported that Barcelona had no knowledge of any talks between Araujo and Juve - let alone the advanced stage of such negotiations.

Given the lofty reputation which Araujo holds within the club, many have refused to believe these rumours. Multiple insiders simply can't countenance a scenario in which the centre-back has gone behind the club's back after six-and-a-half years together.

Gazzetta claim that Araujo is angling for a new setting after being plagued by injuries during his recent years in Spain. Juventus boss Thiago Motta is very keen on the move given the club's dwindling defensive resources. Both Gleison Bremer and Juan Cabal have been ruled out for the rest of the season with ACL injuries, while veteran defender Danilo is thought to have been made available for a free transfer this winter.