Arsenal & Juventus suffer blow in race for Barcelona defender | OneFootball

Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo has reportedly agreed to a new contract with the Catalans, thereby spurning the advances of Arsenal and Juventus, both of which had shown extensive interest in a move for the Uruguayan.

Araujo spent the first six months of the season recovering from a serious hamstring injury. Shortly after making his long-awaited return in the Copa del Rey at the start of January, news broke that the 25-year-old had "agreed" to a loan deal with Juventus - much to the shock of those at Barcelona.

Arsenal soon registered their interest in the towering defender, who was widely reported to be keen on a move away from Catalonia after six-and-a-half years in Spain. The Uruguay international supposedly favoured the Premier League club, but was the subject of a €35m (£29m) bid from Juventus.

An injury to Inigo Martinez forced Hansi Flick to throw on Araujo for the final hour of Barcelona's Supercopa de Espana final against Real Madrid on Sunday, and after helping his side earn an emphatic 5-2 victory, the centre-back was seen being told that he "has to stay" by several of his teammates during the trophy presentation.

Ronald Araujo (right) tangled with Kylian Mbappe on Sunday night / FADEL SENNA/GettyImages

Araujo appears to have heeded those demands, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that the freshly crowned champion has "agreed in principle" a new contract.

The defender's existing deal had been due to expire in 2026 and talks over an extension had stalled. Barcelona president Joan Laporta addressed Araujo's uncertain future at a press conference on Tuesday, revealing: "We want every player we have in the squad to continue, they're all useful.

"Araujo has a contract and I want him to stay. But certain circumstances have come up - which I won't go into because I don't know everything - and he's talking with the sporting director [Deco].

"We value him a lot on a professional level, but above all on a personal level. There's time to find a solution that is satisfactory for everyone." According to the latest reports, that solution has been located.