Barcelona open to Araújo transfer for right offer – sources،
Barcelona will consider letting Ronald Araújo leave if they receive an offer close to 100 million euros ($109 million) for the center back, sources have told ESPN.
Bayern Munich expressed interest in Araújo in January and sources at Barcelona believe the German champions will return with an offer this summer.
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Another source told ESPN that at least one major Premier League club was also monitoring the situation and was ready to act if Barca finally encouraged bids.
Araújo, 25, renewed his contract with Barça for the last time in 2022, signing a contract until 2026 with a release clause of one billion euros ($1.1 billion), a sign that the club saw it as a key part of its long-term future.
The Uruguay international remains a regular in the team, but Barca are aware they will need to raise funds this summer and he is one of the team's players with the biggest market.
“My future depends on the club,” Araújo told reporters after Barça booked their place in the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday with a 3-1 victory over Napoli.
“Everyone knows I'm happy at Barça. And I'm really grateful to [coach] Xavier [Hernández] for the faith he placed in me.
Araújo played 90 minutes in the win over the Italian champions, but the reality is that, following the arrival of 17-year-old Pau Cubarsí, Barça are well covered in the middle of defence.
In addition to Araújo and Cubarsí, Jules Koundé, Andreas Christensen and Iñigo Martínez are also in the running for the central defender position.
Barca president Joan Laporta said last week he would “give Araujo a lifetime contract” if it were up to him.
However, sources have admitted to ESPN that there is internal debate over the possibility of needing to move a major player to raise funds.
It’s a conundrum that the club has regularly faced in recent years. In 2022, they reluctantly opened the door to the departure of Frenkie de Jong, negotiating a transfer with Manchester United, although on this occasion the Dutchman maintained his desire to remain in Spain.
The club will first look for less drastic solutions and hope to receive offers for other players who are not as integral to its plans for next season and beyond.
However, they are aware that due to his age and performance, Araújo is one of their most valuable assets and that they may have to let him go if they cannot find other financial solutions.
Barca are currently almost €200 million over their La Liga-imposed annual spending cap of €204 million and league president Javier Tebas said this month they would be forced to take big decisions this summer to avoid exceeding this limit.
“Barca have options on the table that the club hierarchy can take if they think they will provide solutions to [their financial problems]”, Tebas said at an event in London.
“They have two or three top players they could transfer. That would solve a lot of the problem.”
Barca have already sold assets, including a percentage of their future television rights, to help balance their books, but on this occasion a significant cash transfer could be the only solution.
The situation partly arises from the so far unsuccessful sale of 10% of Barça Studios.
German investment fund Libero agreed to pay 40 million euros for the stake, but has yet to fulfill the agreement despite the club extending the payment deadline until last December.
