Barcelona star prefers a move to the Premier League amid interest from European giants Bayern Munich - Reports
Barcelona star Ronald Araujo reportedly prefers a move to the Premier League over Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.
Thomas Tuchel's side are reportedly open to paying €85 million for Araujo's services but he has apparently turned down their advances. Instead, as per AS (h/t BarcaUniversal), he is attracted by the idea of playing in the Premier League.
Araujo, 24, joined the Camp Nou outfit in the summer of 2018 from Boston River for €4.5 million and has since become a regular in their starting XI. He has made 128 appearances for the Blaugranes senior side, with 15 of those coming this season.
The Uruguay international has even captained Xavi Hernandez's side four times this season and has also played as a right-back on a couple of occasions. Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea were reportedly interested in him in 2022.
However, Araujo penned a four-year deal in April 2022 with a €1 billion release clause, which extended his stay in Catalonia for the time being. It remains to be seen which teams from the Premier League would be interested in him now.
Araujo has already been capped 16 times for the Uruguay national team and is seen as one of the most well-rounded center-backs in his age bracket. It is also being claimed that he is expected to sign a new five-year deal until 2029, which would make any potential transfer even more difficult.
Ronald Araujo happy to captain Barcelona
Ronaldo Araujo seems to be happy at Barcelona. He has worn the captain's armband in recent weeks and is evidently a leader in their line-up.
Speaking about the feeling of captaining the side, Araujo said, via SPORT:
"Being captain of Barça? It's a great honor. I've always been a Barcelona fan. Being a player for this club makes me very happy, so imagine what it means to be the captain too."
Sergi Roberto, Marc ter Stegen, Araujo, and Frenkie de Jong are Barcelona's four captains this season. This came after Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba left the club last summer on free transfers to join Lionel Messi at Inter Miami.
Barcelona's next clash is against UD Almeria at home in LaLiga on Wednesday (20 December). They are currently trailing league leaders Girona, who have 44 points, by nine points after 17 league matches.