Barcelona have been busy on the contract front in recent months and it has now been confirmed that a major extension has been sealed. A few weeks ago it was already certain that Ronald Araujo would leave the club he has been with since 2018, but now he has extended his stay.
It was confirmed on Thursday that Araujo had put pen to paper on a new contract with Barcelona. The 25-year-old defender has signed a five-and-a-half-year contract, which will keep him on the books of the Catalans until 2031.
Earlier on Thursday, video footage captured the moment Araujo arrived at Barcelona's offices to finalize his new deal. He was heavily linked with Juventus earlier in the winter transfer window, and according to reports he had even asked to leave the club. However, he won't be going anywhere anymore.
Barcelona sporting director Deco is credited with convincing Araujo to stay after the pair held crunch talks last week. The Uruguay international was promised a significant pay rise, while his release clause was also reduced from €1 billion to a more feasible figure, although it is not yet known exactly what that is.
The news of Araujo's extension is excellent for Barcelona. Although he struggled to get into the team after returning from a long-term injury, he is seen as a crucial player. He and Pau Cubarsi are seen as the regular partners at center back for many years to come, and they can now stay together for a longer period of time.
Now that the Araujo saga is over, Barcelona will move on to further deals. They hope to complete extensions for Pedri and Gavi in the coming weeks, while Frenkie de Jong – who is also out of contract until 2026 – can also have his situation resolved before the end of the season.
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