Barcelona fear agents of star defender want him to run down contract for signing bonus

After a long spell on the sidelines, Ronald Araujo is finally back in contention for FC Barcelona.

There has been a lot of excitement surrounding the return of the Uruguayan international, whose contract at Camp Nou expires in 2026.

Barcelona are keen on extending the contract of Araujo and have expressed their desire multiple times over the last 12 months.

Araujo’s agents: A thorn for Barcelona?

A recent report from Mundo Deportivo, though, has highlighted that Barcelona are not entirely sure whether or not Araujo’s representatives want the player to continue at the club.

Although Barcelona have been clear in their desire to renew Araujo’s contract, the club believe the agents of the player have not passed on this information to Araujo.

In fact, Barça believe one of the representatives wants Araujo to run down his contract at Barcelona so that he becomes a free agent.

Being a free agent, after all, could see Araujo bag a lucrative salary bonus regardless of which club he joins next.

Barcelona, on the other hand, cannot afford Araujo to run down his contract as the Uruguayan international has immense value on the market.

Even if Araujo fails to integrate himself into Hansi Flick’s system, the club could make a fortune by selling the player on the market.

Barcelona, therefore, want Araujo to take the initiative and stamp down his desire to remain at the club, especially if he does indeed enjoy playing under Flick.

The coming few weeks, to that end, could go a long way in determining the road ahead for the defender, as he looks to take a key decision over his future.