According to Marca, Ronald Araujo has rejected the offer of a new contract at Barcelona, after Liverpool made contact to sign him.
What’s the story?
Well, it was SPORT who revealed that Liverpool are keen to bring the 5-cap Uruguay international to the Premier League.
Xavi recently spoke about Araujo’s contract situation, and said he was keen to see the 22-year-old pen fresh terms “quickly” to put an end to the situation.
The Spaniard said: “Yes, it’s a priority to renew Araujo’s deal. You can see he’s an important player for me, for the team. Extraordinary defender. Very important we reach an agreement quickly. He’s a player for the present and the future.”
Now, Araujo has rejected Barcelona’s first offer, which Marca believe has alerted Manchester United and Chelsea to the situation.
It is said that Barcelona’s offer was swiftly turned down by the South American and his representatives.
However, talks were amicable, and both parties are expected to continue negotiating at a later date.
Araujo – who has a €200m (£167m) release clause in his current contract – is tied to Barcelona until June 2023.
Boost for Liverpool in Ronald Araujo pursuit
While discussions remain amicable, Liverpool should be pleased to hear that Araujo has rejected a new contract at Barcelona.
It shows that he’s not 100% happy at the Camp Nou, and there’s a chance he could be tempted away from Catalonia.
However, Jürgen Klopp shouldn’t complete this deal unless he sells one of his current options.
As things stand, not even Joe Gomez or Ibrahima Konate are getting regular starts in the Premier League, so Klopp would be foolish to add another player to the centre-back department.
Only if the German decided to adopt a three-man centre-back system should this transfer be pursued, or else it’s just a waste of time from the Reds.
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