According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus has reached an agreement with Ronald Araujo, and the player has agreed to join Juventus. However, negotiations with Barcelona over the transfer fee are still ongoing. Last season, several clubs, including Bayern Munich, had contact with Barcelona regarding Araujo, with Barcelona setting a transfer fee of 100 million pounds and being unwilling to sell the Uruguayan central defender. However, due to the lack of progress in contract renewal negotiations and Barcelona's unresolved financial issues, it appears that Araujo does indeed have the possibility of leaving the team.
From the current information, the contract renewal negotiations between Barcelona and Araujo have stalled. The salary demanded by the player is not something Barcelona is willing to meet. Moreover, young players within the team have already shown excellent performances, with Eric Garcia becoming a key target for Barcelona's central defender training and even having the potential to become the core of the team's defense. Eric Garcia's growth has given Barcelona an advantage in the contract renewal negotiations with Araujo, whether it be selling or renewing the contract to keep him, Barcelona has more initiative, and Araujo's attitude towards leaving the team has also changed.
Araujo performed very well in the first half of last season, even being considered one of the best central defenders in football. However, a crucial mistake and conflict with teammates in the match against Paris Saint-Germain led to a sharp decline in his evaluation within the team and among fans, which also affected his contract renewal situation. This season, Araujo missed most of the games due to injury and only returned to participate in the Copa del Rey game in January this year, performing well.
Araujo's current contract with Barcelona has less than one and a half years left to expire. Barcelona definitely hopes that Araujo can stay, but the disagreement on salary cannot be resolved, and Barcelona has no intention of conceding, which also gives other clubs the opportunity to sign him. Araujo's current value is 55 million euros, and if Juventus wants to sign Araujo, they will need to prepare around 60 million euros in transfer fees, which is also a considerable pressure for the Serie A giants. Both sides still need more negotiations to reach an agreement.
Araujo's technical characteristics are still important for Barcelona, and his performance on the defensive line is trustworthy. Whether it's positioning interceptions, physical confrontations, or the speed of recovery, Araujo has the conditions to become a top central defender. However, due to the fatal mistakes last season that led to a lack of trust in his performance in key matches by the team and fans, coupled with injury problems that could not guarantee attendance rates, there is a possibility of Araujo leaving the team. If the transfer fee requirements of Barcelona can be met, and with Eric Garcia already in place, letting go of Araujo would also be acceptable to the fans.