For the past few weeks, reports coming out of Spain have discussed Manchester United and Chelsea interest in Barcelona’s Ronald Araújo.
In the last few hours, Manchester City have been dragged into the mix after Pep Guardiola was pictured with the defender’s representative, Edmundo Kabchi.
The 22-year-old came up through the Catalan club’s youth system and went on to cement his place in the first team’s starting lineup.
Barca want to tie the centre-back down to a new deal. He reportedly earns €900k per year and wants €6m annually to sign an extension at the Camp Nou. Jordi Cruyff has insisted the La Liga side will focus on renewing some of their players’ contracts and one of them is Araújo.
Despite Guardiola’s latest meeting with the Uruguay international’s agent, City are not the ‘great competitor’. It’s apparently Manchester United. That’s according to Marca, who state the Old Trafford club are the one ‘bidding the strongest’ for the player.
With the South American yet to sign an extension with the Blaugrana, the Red Devils are ‘willing to make a large investment’ to take him away from Barcelona.
Araújo’s contract expires in 2023 and he’s already rejected the first proposal made by Xavi Hernández’s side. Manchester United are ‘willing to bid hard’ to sign the defender, but Marca warn they are not the only club behind him.
