Barcelona are closer to securing a new contract with star defender Ronald Araujo after a meeting between sporting director Deco and the Uruguayan's agents took place on Friday afternoon. Araujo appeared set to leave this week, but talks with Deco appear to have persuaded him to stay at least until the summer.
Significant progress has been made towards a new deal, says Sport, which says the extension could be completed as early as next week. Despite a possible offer from Juventus of €70 million, their information is that Araujo will be at Barcelona for the time being. Backing up this information, Relevo says the deal has been agreed verbally and will be put in writing next week, citing Hansi Flick and Araujo's teammates who convinced him to stay.
This is contradicted by Marca, who say that while progress has been made in negotiating a new deal, this has by no means happened and that there is still plenty of negotiating to be done. One of the main questions is how long he will extend his contract for, and whether there will be a release clause.
One of the shifts that got Araujo this far was likely Deco's promise of a reduced release clause. This would provide him with a way out, should he again feel the desire to leave the club. The Uruguayan is keen to strike a deal similar to Barcelona's other stars and play a key role that could impact Jonathan Tah's future.
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