Barcelona send strong warning to two star players as they restart contract talks - Reports
Barcelona have reopened contract negotiations with Ronald Araujo and Frenkie de Jong. According to Spanish outlet Sport, the club are keen on not letting any player approach the final year of their deal to avoid losing them for cheap.
The report further claims that the duo are keen on extending their stay with the Catalan giants and that negotiations have begun in this regard. An agreement with the Uruguayan is believed to be easy to attain, while the situation surrounding the Dutchman is a little more complex.
Araujo was offered a deal by Barcelona earlier this year but the defender declined it. The club received offers for the player but eventually decided to keep him. With his contract expiring in the summer of 2026, both the club and the player are looking to reach an agreement. Araujo has yet to feature for La Blaugrana this season, as a hamstring injury in pre-season has kept him out.
de Jong, on the other hand, has struggled for form this season (one goal and one assist in 13 games) and has fallen down the pecking order under new manager Hansi Flick. His high wages and extensive deferred wages accumulated make him a good candidate to sell amid Barcelona's financial troubles. However, club president Joan Laporta is confident that the 27-year-old will find his form again and has given him until the end of the year to renew.
Following this duo, the report suggests that the renewals of Pedri and Gavi will also be completed soon, while Andreas Christensen may find his way out of the club. Raphinha and Jules Kounde are next on the list, with both the players' contracts expiring in 2027.
Barcelona dealt setback as star attacker set to be out for a month with injury
Barcelona received a blow as it was revealed that star attacker Lamine Yamal suffered an ankle injury during the side's 1-0 LaLiga loss to CD Leganes on Sunday (December 15). The teenager featured for 75 minutes in the clash before being taken off.
He has been diagnosed with a ligament injury in his right ankle that could keep him out of contention for three to four weeks. Yamal already missed close to a month of action earlier this season with a similar setback to his ankle.
He has emerged as one of Barcelona's key players, collecting six goals and 12 assists in 21 games. His absence has coincided with the side's worst run of form of the season as they have picked up just one win in their last six games.