Bayern Cools Off Interest in Signing Araujo

The German club hasn’t forgotten about the Blaugrana but prioritizes a left-back and a defensive midfielder. They’ll only make a staggering offer if they manage to sell one of their central defenders.

Araujo: “My Future Depends on the Club, I’m Happy at Barça”

Bayern Munich had their sights set on signing Araujo to bolster their defense and make him one of their strategic players for the future. In January, they already made progress in the operation with Thomas Tuchel as a strong advocate, but Barcelona remained adamant about not negotiating. They planned to revisit the option in the summer, but reports from Germany suggest that the signing is no longer a priority. Bayern needs to reinforce other positions, and Araujo will only be considered again if they can offload one of their central defenders.

The Araujo deal was crucial for Bayern due to their defensive struggles this season. The Bavarian club believed that all conditions were right to sign him due to Barcelona’s financial troubles and the ability to offer him more than double his current salary. Talks even took place with the player, but it’s clear that Araujo prioritizes staying in Barcelona, although reaching an agreement for renewal might be more challenging than expected.

Bayern’s plan was to wait for negotiations with Barcelona to fail and then capitalize on the player’s complicity. With Barcelona having surplus central defenders, an offer close to €100 million could have tempted the Blaugrana to balance their budget and help their finances. However, the situation has cooled off now because the defense has improved, and Bayern will need to invest heavily in a defensive midfielder and a left-back due to the potential departure of Davies.

Araujo has avoided delving deeply into his situation and has consistently expressed his desire to stay at Barça while leaving the possibility of considering other options in the future. His contract runs until 2026, and he currently earns one of the lowest salaries in the Blaugrana squad. Deco has already met with his agents to discuss a new contract, but Barcelona’s salary cap issues make it unfeasible to offer him a top-level deal to retain him. The Uruguayan knows he’ll have to make an economic effort to stay, although it all depends on how vast the differences are.

Bayern understands that the operation can only proceed if one of their top central defenders is sold. De Ligt, Upamecano, or Kim-Min-Jae would need to depart for a significant amount, and only then would reopening negotiations for Araujo be viable. Barcelona remains calm because Araujo has a contract until 2026 with a release clause of €1 billion, but they aim to secure him for whatever may come. As of now, he’s one of the strategic players for the future, and they prefer to sell other central defenders to generate income.