Man Utd beaten as Bayern Munich ready world-record deal for Barcelona star as contract talks hit dead end

Bayern Munich have reportedly informed Barcelona that they are willing to pay €100million to beat Man Utd to the signing of defender Ronald Araujo this summer.

Araujo‘s future is a hot topic as he prepares to enter the final two years of his existing Barcelona deal this summer, having arrived at the Camp Nou in the summer of 2018.

The Uruguayan defender is believed to have been offered a contract extension until the summer of 2029 by Barcelona sporting director Deco, but has not yet responded to the proposal.

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According to Spanish publication Marca, that has put Bayern Munich on high alert with the Bundesliga giants informing Barcelona through an intermediary that they are willing to pay €100m to tempt Araujo away this summer.

That fee would obliterate the world record sum for a defender, which currently stands at the £80m paid by Man Utd to sign Harry Maguire from Leicester City in the summer of 2019.

Under current conversion rates, the proposed fee for Araujo would equate to £85.5m, setting a new record.

The report claims no formal offer has been submitted as yet by Bayern Munich, with Barcelona convinced that Araujo will ultimately decide to stay put.

Man Utd are also believed to be interested in Araujo, with reports last month indicating the Premier League side are planning a sensational £120m double deal to sign both Araujo and long-term target Frenkie de Jong.

Ronald Araujo ‘happy’ at Barcelona as Bayern Munich rumours swirl

Speaking while on international duty last weekend, Araujo dismissed speculation a move away by insisting he is “happy” at Barcelona, hinting he was in no rush to decide his future before the end of the season and this summer’s Copa America tournament in the United States.

He said: “There has been a lot of talk about this topic, but I am happy in Barcelona.

“Furthermore, we have to finish the season well because there are still challenges – [and] also with Uruguay [there is] the Copa America.”

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At just 25, Araujo is regarded as a key part of Barcelona’s plans alongside 17-year-old sensation Pau Cubarsi, who is seen as a star of the future after emerging from the club’s famed La Masia academy

Joan Laporta, the Barcelona club president, recently expressed the Catalans’ desire to keep Araujo, claiming that the defender is “very integrated” into the club’s philosophy.

“What happens is that sometimes communication doesn’t quite get where it needs to go,” Laporta said. “I’m talking about negotiations.

“And there I think that this is already solved in some way because there was some distortion when it came to communicating everything we had in mind for Ronald.”

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