Man Utd on red alert as Barcelona are forced into sale of elite star Ratcliffe admires; Arsenal also linked

Manchester United and Arsenal could get the chance to sign Barcelona centre-back Ronald Araujo this summer, according to reports from Spain.

The Premier League rivals are both thought to be admirers of the talented 25-year-old, who is considered to be one of the best defenders in LaLiga.

Araujo missed the start of the season with an injury but has made 30 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring one goal and helping his team to nine clean sheets.

He has also worn the Barcelona captain’s armband on multiple occasions, showing his leadership capabilities and importance to the team.

These qualities are no doubt what have impressed both Man Utd and Arsenal, who have been keeping close tabs on Araujo’s situation over the past few months.

The Red Devils in particular are keen to bring in a new centre-back, with the futures of Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof both in doubt,

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made bolstering the centre-back position one of his top priorities, so he could jump at the chance to sign Araujo.

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Barcelona could be forced into Ronald Araujo sale

According to ESPN, Barcelona will consider offers in the region of €100m (approx. £85.5m) for Araujo this summer.

The Catalans would much prefer to keep the defender, but they could be forced to part ways with several key players due to their ongoing financial problems.

Former Leeds winger Raphinha is another who has been heavily linked with an exit over the past few months, for example.

As mentioned, Ratcliffe has made signing a new centre-back one of his top transfer priorities.

Lille’s Leny Yoro, Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo and Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite are three targets Man Utd are keen on, along with Araujo.

All of those options would be expensive additions so it’ll certainly be an interesting summer window from a defensive point of view.

As for Arsenal, their solid pairing of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba have played a huge role in their success this season.

Therefore, it seems unlikely that they’ll spent a big sum on Araujo this summer, despite their admiration for the Barcelona star.

Man Utd seems to be the most likely destination for Araujo when it comes to English clubs as things stand. Whether or not they’d be willing to match Barcelona’s demands remains to be seen, however.

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