Barcelona is about to lose Inigo Martinez to Al-Nassr, but his output will not be enough for the club to solve their registration problems. As a result, there are opportunities for another major player to leave before the end of the summer, and it appears that it can be another central defender who will continue.
Barcelona is ready this summer to sell one of their senior center backs, and prior to the news that Martinez would go, it would be Ronald Arajo or Andreas Christensen who would continue. And although it now seems that both will remain, that may not be the case.
A source has indicated to the España football that Chelsea is preparing to make a concrete move for Araujo before the end of the summer transfer window. The blues, who won the Club World Cup last month, was told this week that Levi Colwill had sustained an ACL injury and it has already been decided that they will look for a replacement.
Chelsea regards Arajo, who was temporarily appointed as captain of Barcelona this week, as a world -class defender, and at the age of 26 would be signing in line with the transfer policy at Stamford Bridge. They are willing to pay € 50 million to get a deal, and it is of the opinion that the ruling La Liga champions would accept this-because it would enable them to illuminate their well-documented financial misery.
In addition to Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur also show serious interest in Araujo. Spurs see him as an important piece in their defensive rebuilding, appreciating his versatility and leadership qualities. Manchester United, who has a long-term interest in the 26-year-old, also keeps a close eye on the situation, but does not yet have a formal approach.
Chelsea is expected to submit an official offer soon. The future of Araujo will probably depend on the position of Barcelona and how the other interested clubs decide to act in the coming weeks, but given that Martinez is about to leave, it will be difficult for the Catalans to give the green light for a sale unless a replacement can be sorted quickly.