Arsenal and Chelsea have been dealt significant blows in their hopes of signing Ronald Araujo with the young defender insisting he is ‘happy’ at Barcelona and there are plans to extend his stay at the Camp Nou. A number of Premier League clubs have been linked with a move for the young Uruguayan.
His contract is set to expire next summer and it has been suggested that he already has offers from clubs in the Premier League. Arsenal and Chelsea - as well as Liverpool and Manchester United - have all been mentioned as interested parties. It remains to be seen where Araujo ’s future lies but the defender has made it clear that there are plans in place for him to pen a new deal sooner rather than later and is content with life in Spain.
Speaking after the Catalan giants’ slender 1-0 victory against Sevilla on Sunday, he said: ”I am very happy to be here. I am happy with the support of the people. We are working on the renewal. This week we have a meeting.
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“I hope that it is resolved soon so that I can continue many years in this club. I want to stay here. Optimistic.”
Since breaking into the Barcelona line-up, the 23-year-old has gone on to establish himself as a key part in the side. He has gone on to amass 72 appearances for the Spanish club and has even harnessed the reputation as a goal-scoring defender having already found the net on four occasions so far this season.
Barcelona boss Xavi has also given his say on Araujo’s current situation and has revealed his stance on a potential new deal for the defender - alongside his club teammate Gavi.
"The club cannot allow itself to lose Gavi and Araujo, they are very important for us and I am showing that with the minutes I am giving them,” the former midfielder said. “I am optimistic and I hope that a solution can be found soon. I think that it's a question of time. Or so I hope.”
Should Araujo arrive in the Premier League sooner rather than later, he could potentially be going in the opposite direction to a couple of current Chelsea defenders. Barcelona are reportedly interested in Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, with the pair seeing their respective deals expire in the summer.
