Contract renewal of star defender no longer a priority for Barcelona

Barcelona appear to have made solid ground in their pursuit of Jonathan Tah, with many sources pointing towards the defender’s potential move to Camp Nou.

Currently plying his trade for Bayer Leverkusen, Tah could join Barcelona next summer on a free transfer.

Needless to say, Tah’s potential transfer to Barcelona could significantly impact the future of multiple first-team stars. And one of them could be Ronald Araujo.

Araujo renewal no longer a priority

The renewal of Araujo has been a priority for Barcelona for quite some time now. As one of the team captains, the Uruguayan is an influential figure in the dressing room.

However, following the likely capture of Tah next season, it appears the renewal of Tah is no longer a priority in the Barcelona circles, reports Diario AS.

It must be noted that Barça have not completely given up on Araujo’s renewal. But they are not as keen as before, knowing the club can survive without the Uruguayan’s services.

Doubts are kicking in about Araujo, especially given his frequent mistakes in the past. Not to mention, Barcelona are not happy with the way the defender has been ‘flirting’ with other clubs.

Araujo given ultimatum

Keeping these factors in mind, Araujo’s future is far from safe at Barcelona.

In fact, the Uruguayan international must take a large salary cut if he is to remain at Camp Nou beyond next summer.

Barcelona, for their part, have already made it clear that if Araujo wants to stay at the club, he must sign a new contract. The same stands for struggling midfielder Frenkie de Jong as well.

It appears Barcelona are keen to avoid a scenario where players like de Jong and Araujo run down their respective contracts and leave for free.