Joan Laporta says he'd like to give Barcelona superstar a 'lifetime contract' at the club
Barcelona president recently said that he would like to give Uruguayan defender Ronald Araujo a 'lifetime contract' at the club.
Barcelona are currently promoting their newly launched over-the-top (OTT) service platform, Barca One, with the exclusive "Origins: Ronald Araujo" being their first release on the new venture.
The documentary series will showcase the Uruguayan's ascent to stardom. At the launch of the series, Laporta was asked about the future of the centre-back at Camp Nou, to which he replied (via Fabrizio Romano):
"I’d give Ronald Araujo a lifetime contract here at Barcelona!"
Araujo initially moved to Barca's B side in the summer of 2018 from Uruguayan side Boston River. He made the jump to the senior team in the 2019-20 season, and has since established himself as a nailed-on starter for the Blaugrana.
The 24-year-old has already made 142 appearances for the Catalan giants and is considered one of the best centre-backs in world football at the moment. He was heavily linked with a move to Bayern Munich in the January transfer window, with Matthijs de Ligt and Joshua Kimmich reportedly being offered in a swap deal for his services.
However, the deal fell through as the player and the club publicly expressed a willingness to continue their professional relationship.
Araujo has had his fair share of injuries, having already missed nearly 70 games in his career due to adductor, hamstring, calf and ankle injuries. However, Barca clearly view him as a leader and a key cog of their long-term project, and are ready to keep him at the club by any means possible.
Barcelona's 17-year-old defensive starlet set for potential Spain call-up
The big story from Barcelona's 2023-24 season has been their youth revolution, with a host of talented youngsters making the jump to the first team. One of the most impressive wonderkids has been 17-year-old centre-back Pau Cubarsi.
After making his first-team debut against Unionistas in the Copa del Rey Round of 16 in January, he has quickly established himself as a key member of Xavi's squad. He has already made nine more appearances since then, putting in some impressive performances for the Blaugrana.
Cubarsi's impact has been so incredible that he could soon make the jump into the Spain national team's squad for the friendlies in March. According to reports from Sport, he has been included in the preliminary list for Luis de la Fuente's squad to face Brazil and Colombia.
With Euro 2024 right around the corner, Cubarsi will be hoping to make an instant impact to earn a place in Spain's final squad for the tournament.