The key factors that have unblocked Ronald Araujo's renewal with Barça

In the next few hours, Ronald Araujo and FC Barcelona will renew the contractual link that has united them since 2018. After several weeks of negotiations, the Uruguayan defender and the Blaugrana laid the foundations for the new contract on Tuesday. "Only a few details are missing," assured Edmundo Kabchi, the Uruguayan centre-back’s agent, after leaving the meeting he held at Sushi 99 with Mateu Alemany, who also recognized the predisposition and harmony between both parties.

With Ronald's 'yes', Barca have ensured the continuity of one of the most important defenders in the squad and among the most promising in the world. At 23 years old, Araujo is a guarantee of the present and, on paper, one of the pillars of Barca for the next decade. There are several factors that have helped to find a happy ending to an exciting story with many chapters yet to be told.

XAVI’S INSISTENCE

The coach has not tired of repeating, week after week, press conference appearance after appearance, that Barça cannot afford the departures of Araujo and Gavi. "They are very important players for the present and the future of the club", he has said on numerous occasions. Xavi considers that the Uruguayan, in particular, "is giving us a lot and for us is a ‘guarantee’”. In the press conference prior to the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final against Eintracht Frankfurt, he celebrated the "right decision" of the Uruguayan. "We have a central defender for ten years or more. There are few defenders at his level," he added.

Thus Xavi will be able to continue with his specific plan to help the No 4 grow. The Barcelona coaching staff have been helping a footballer who, in purely defensive tasks, has always excelled and is improving a lot in bringing the ball out.

SUAREZ’S LAST JOB

During the national team break, Araujo revealed that his compatriot and his former teammate at Barça Luis Suarez "keeps writing to me after the games." "It was very important for me when I got into the first team. It's always difficult to join a group of people that is already formed. He's a spectacular player and, above all, a great person," he explained. According to Gerard Romero, the Atletico Madrid striker recommended that Ronald stay at the Camp Nou. He told him that he couldn't miss out on the opportunity to make a career with the Blaugrana, where he spent six very happy years. It was Suarez’s last job for Barcelona.

UNBEATABLE CONTEXT 

Barça began, after the painful departure of Leo Messi, the definitive process of reconstruction. In August 2021, several years of crossing the desert were approaching and the first months of this season confirmed those feelings. The arrival of Xavi and several signings, however, changed everything. The 4-0 romp at the Santiago Bernabéu showed in a scenario of huge media attention that Barca are very close to once again being one of the best teams on the continent. Although there is still a lot of work to be done, the project for the future is very exciting and unbeatable for developing players like the Uruguayan. Nowhere else could he be playing as much as he is today; this season, Ronald has played 2,517 minutes spread over 34 games and has scored four goals.

BETTING ON TALENTS FROM HOME

Obviously, if the negotiations have come to fruition it has been because both parties, including the sports management headed by Mateu Alemany, have stepped back from their initial positions. The club has understood that, if Araujo left, they would be forced to go to the market to reinforce the squad with a central defender proven at the highest level and with physical characteristics similar to those of Ronald. The profile of the Uruguayan is unique. Gerard Piqué, Eric Garcia and Andreas Christensen have very different characteristics from him. How much could a transfer of a player with these characteristics cost and what the salary of the new signing be? Betting on your own talent is always better both financially and sportingly, especially in a team with such a defined style.

BARCA IS BARCA

In difficult times it is always positive to have reasons to increase self-esteem. The fact that Araujo has rejected great economic offers from the Premier League has shown, once again, that Barça continues to have a special power of attraction that money cannot buy. Dollar bills can't mean everything. There are many factors that lay the foundations for 'Més que un club which greatly helps to achieve signings or renewals in adverse financial contexts. Camp Nou continues to be the pinnacle of world football. There is no better news than this.