Chelsea poised to go toe to toe with bitter PL rival for 22-year-old La Liga star

Chelsea move swiftly in response to a ‘strong bid’ from Manchester United for Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo

According to Marca (h/t Mirror), Chelsea are said to have intensified their pursuit for Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo. This comes after Premier League rivals Manchester United are thought to have made a strong bid for the 22-year-old.

The Uruguayan professional footballer has been attracting a lot of attention from the football community given his recent performances for the Catalans. A major reason for interest in his services is the situation surrounding his contract at the Nou Camp.

Araujo who was integrated into the first team set up under former manager Ronald Koeman has grown in stature under new boss Xavi Hernandez. The youngster has already played 65 matches across all competitions to date for Blauranga during which time he has scored five goals and provided one assist.

The 22-year-old’s current contract with the Camp Nou outfit will expire in the summer of 2023. The young centre-back is yet to confirm a new deal with the La Liga club and this has fueled a lot of speculation regarding his long-term future in Catalunya. It is now being believed that Man Utd have tabled a strong offer and Chelsea are not willing to back down.

Could Ronald Araujo provide Chelsea with a long-term solution?

The West Londoners are facing a defensive crisis of their own. Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger, and Andreas Christensen have contracts that will expire at the end of the season. With no new deal being confirmed as of yet, their departure seems like more likely with every passing day.

It would be a big blow should we lose any of these players without bringing in suitable backups. The Blues do possess the likes of Thiago Silva, Trevoh Chalobah, and Malang Sarr in their squad. That being said, Silva is not getting any younger at 37 whilst Chalobah and Sarr are still in the nascent stages of their budding professional careers and such a step up could bring too much pressure hindering their current development.

Ronald Araujo has shown great composure at the back for Barcelona this season. At the tender age of 22, the Uruguayan has already gained a substantial amount of experience at the top and could be a great long-term asset for the Stamford Bridge outfit.

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With all of these aspects in mind, the Blues would most likely have to dip into the coming transfer window for a new centre-back. Whilst Araujo could be a great acquisition, Marina Granovskia would have a tough battle on her hands if she want to lure the 22-year-old to Chelsea.