Title: FC Barcelona Turns Down $36 Million Offer for Star Player, Reveals Asking Price According to MARCA
FC Barcelona has turned down a €35 million offer from Juventus for defender Ronald Araujo, with the Spanish club reportedly setting its sights on a price tag between €70 million and €80 million, according to sources close to the situation.
This week, various reports from Italy suggested that Araujo had agreed to join Juventus during the ongoing winter transfer window. The Uruguayan international, who suffered an injury during the Copa America quarterfinal against Brazil, finally made his debut under Hansi Flick last weekend against Barbastro.
Whilst sidelined, Araujo had to watch as Pau Cubarsi and Inigo Martinez formed one of European soccer's best center-back partnerships, contributing to Barcelona's strong start to the La Liga season.
Initial reports indicated that Araujo had given his approval for the move to Juventus. However, La Repubblica later claimed that the Serie A giant had secured a deal with a paid loan for the remainder of the season and an obligation to purchase Araujo.
MARCA, however, debunked these reports, revealing that Barcelona had rejected the €35 million offer from Juventus for Araujo. Despite Juventus reportedly being prepared to raise their offer to €50 million, this still falls short of Barcelona's asking price, which was as high as €100 million last year when Bayern Munich expressed interest in the young defender.
At a press conference ahead of El Clasico, Flick expressed his satisfaction with Araujo's progress and his desire to keep the defender in his squad. "When I started as a coach, I saw that there were many rumors," Flick said. "Ronald has returned from a terrible injury and is now strong enough to play. He's a good option and he's very professional. I think we have taken care of him a lot. It's not my job to talk about rumors, but I want him in my team. He is one of the best defenders," Flick added.
Despite still being without a contract extension, several top European clubs, including but not limited to Juventus, are reportedly keen on snatching Araujo away from Barcelona. However, the latest transfer news suggests that Araujo is committed to staying with Barcelona, having signed a contract extension until 2031 following a meeting with club executives Deco, Joan Laporta, Rafa Yuste, and Joan Soler.
Juventus had initially expressed interest in signing Ronald Araujo, with reports suggesting a €35 million offer, but Barcelona turned this down and are aiming for a price tag between €70 million and €80 million. Despite Juventus later proposing a loan deal with an obligation to purchase, Bayern Munich, who had shown interest in Araujo last year, had previously set their sights higher.
