Barcelona set to offer new deal to key player amid interest from Bayern Munich: Reports
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona are set to offer a new contract to Ronald Araujo, with Bayern Munich reportedly keen on a move for him.
As per Florian Plettenberg (via Barca Blaugranes), Thomas Tuchel and Co. are big fans of Araujo and would love to see him play at the Allianz Arena. The 24-year-old centre-back is allegedly keen on the Bavarians' interest as they have been monitoring him for the past two years.
However, Barcelona have no intention of selling Araujo. The Uruguay international is an integral part of the Blaugrana's defense and has established himself as one of the best centre-backs in Europe under Xavi Hernandez.
Araujo has scored eight goals in 125 appearances across all competitions, helping his side win three trophies over the past five seasons, including one La Liga title. The Blaugrana are reportedly set to offer him a new contract for his efforts which would see him stay at the club beyond 2026.
"We looked on this as a final and we won it" - Joao Cancelo gives verdict after helping guide Barcelona to UCL Round of 16
Barcelona star Joao Cancelo insisted his side deserved to win after they defeated Porto 2-1 in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, November 28. In doing so, Xavi Hernandez's side qualified for the Round of 16, a feat they failed to achieve in the last two seasons.
Pepe stunned the home crowd by giving Porto the lead in the 30th minute. However, the Blaugrana rallied back through Cancelo (32') and Joao Felix (57') to seal all three points. They remain at the summit of Group H, with 12 points from five games, having won four and lost one.
Cancelo said (via Barca Blaugranes):
“We looked on this as a final and we won it. We are in the knockout rounds, which is where Barcelona deserve to be. When the results aren’t going your way, the confidence can drop a little. But we have a group of spectacular guys, experienced and full of quality - we deserved this victory."
He added:
“When I came off, I just felt that my hamstring was a little bit tight. But I’m comfortable and confident playing down the left if needed. Anything to achieve the right results.”
Barcelona statistically were the better side. They dominated possession with 51% of the ball compared to Porto's 45%. Moreover, they landed 21 shots in total with seven being in target. In contrast, Porto only mustered 13 shots with five being on target.