Three Reasons why Barcelona might consider letting Ronald Araújo leave in January | OneFootball

In the last few days, the biggest news coming out of FC Barcelona have been related to the potential departure of one of the more important players in the squad, Ronald Araújo.

Despite him being one of their key center-backs for the last few years, the Uruguayan defender’s future at the Blaugrana club is highly uncertain.

There have been reports of a potential move to the Italian side Juventus, and according to Fichajes, Barcelona have already decided to accept the offer from the Turin club for a loan with a mandatory purchase option for the defender.

Only a few weeks ago, such a turn of affairs would have seemed impossible, but the report from Fichajes has highlighted three main reasons why the Catalans are open to allowing Araujo to leave in January.

1: No renewal agreement

The Uruguayan center-back’s current contract is expiring in 2026, and Barcelona have been negotiating a renewal with him for quite some time now. However, the defender has not accepted the Blaugranes’ proposal, as he wants significantly higher wages than those that have been offered.

2: Possibility of leaving for free

With his renewal negotiations proving to be complicated, there is a possibility arising of one of the best defenders in Europe leaving the Catalan club for free. Thus, Barcelona are looking to avoid such a possibility by agreeing to a move with Juventus in January, which will also free up a significant part of their wage bill.

3: A replacement has already been found

Lastly, the Blaugrana side has already reportedly secured a replacement for Ronald Araújo, i.e., the Bayer Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah, who is expected to join the Catalan club at the end of this season on a free transfer.

In addition to being cheaper than the Uruguayan, Tah will also settle in well as he has already played under Flick with the German national team.

Furthermore, Pau Cubarsí and Iñigo Martínez are already established as the starting center-back duo for Hansi Flick this season, thus reducing Araújo’s importance in the Barcelona squad.

These reasons make it easier for one to understand why Barcelona could be ready to part ways with the Uruguayan in January, but it still remains to be seen how his future will pan out as nothing is confirmed yet.