Barcelona ‘ready’ for bid after ‘huge’ Ratcliffe ‘contract offer’ for £60m star

Barcelona are reportedly ‘ready to listen to offers’ for centre-back Ronald Araujo, who has received a ‘huge contract offer’ from Manchester United.

Araujo signed a new contract in April 2022, which momentarily stopped talk that he would be leaving the Blaugrana.

He was strongly linked with Manchester United and Chelsea before penning an extension and after a small break from the rumours, he has been frequently linked with both Premier League clubs as well as Bayern Munich.

It has been more Bayern than anyone else this year but with Sir Jim Ratcliffe hoping to make big changes in the summer, there have been plenty of stories about a transfer to Manchester United.

A recent report from Spanish outlet AS claimed that Ratcliffe has put a ‘huge contract offer’ on the table for Araujo.

And now a report from Barca Universal has said Barcelona president Joan Laporta is open to selling the Uruguayan international at the end of the season.

It is claimed that Araujo has received lots of criticsm in recent weeks, ‘especially after a horror performance against PSG‘, and is ‘on the chopping block’ as a result.

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With Bayern among those showing an interest, Barcelona are ‘ready to listen to offers’ and ‘could be allowed to move on’ having become an ‘antagonist’ in Catalonia.

Laporta’s decision to make Araujo – who is worth €70m (£60m), as per Transfermarkt – available for transfer could be a part of his overall frustration after Xavi’s side fell to a 4-2 defeat at Girona on Saturday.

Barcelona scored a third-minute opener, with their early lead lasting a whole minute before taking the lead again on the brink of half-time.

The second half saw an almightly capitulation from the Catalan giants, who conceded three second-half goals in the space of eight minutes.

According to Sport in Spain, Laporta was untethered and his rage knew no bounds after the loss.

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The defeat threatens to have large financial implications on Barca, who might have lost their spot in the Spanish Super Cup as a result, slipping to third in the La Liga table behind Girona.

The result also made it mathematically impossible for anyone to catch Real Madrid, who have officially been named champions.

After the loss at Montilivi, Laporta – who was ‘furious’ – was reportedly shouting “This can’t be!” with Araujo and Jules Kounde among the Barca flops who were ‘overwhelmed’ by the performances of Girona’s attackers.

Laporta was apparently planning for next season with the Super Cup revenue being a part of his budget as he looks to adopt a 1:1 rule, which means a player sold will fund the signing of a new player.

The 4-2 loss has ‘complicated matters’ and will have ‘real consequences’, with the Barca president open to selling Araujo, for example.

More: Barcelona | Man Utd | Ronald Araujo