On Tuesday night, Manchester United failed to secure all three points against relegation bound Burnley. Burnley were able to earn a share of the spoils with a spirited performance against a tactically inept Red Devils side.
United scored first but could not hold on to their lead as Burnley came storming back to get an equaliser in the second half. The result proved again how ineffectual and unreliable Harry Maguire is as a defender, with the Manchester United captain beaten for the Burnley goal.
Despite the arrival of Raphael Varane in the summer, United are in the market for another defender as their defensive woes continue. Several reports suggest that the Red Devils have their eyes on Barcelona defender Araujo.
Red Devils in search of defensive additions - target Araujo
Manchester United are trying to capitalise on the financial woes of Barcelona to poach one of its players. The Catalans are trying to keep their best players while creating room financially to bring in quality players. It has been an arduous task for the Catalan giants, but they must now fend off interest in one of their budding defenders.
Goal cites reports in Spain that Manchester United have tabled an offer to Barcelona defender Araujo. The Uruguay international has not agreed on a contract extension with the Catalan giants, with his recent form convincing Barcelona to retain him at the Camp Nou. Araujo has a contract that expires in 2023.
Goal reports that Uruguay international has an offer on the table from Manchester United worth about €10b million a year. It is a tempting offer for a player that is unlikely to get an offer like that from Barcelona.
Final decision yet to be known
Araujo finds himself between a rock and a hard place. He received so much love from Barcelona, even when he was yet to prove he deserved to dorn a Barcelona shirt. It is unknown what the Uruguay international wants to do. It is unclear whether Araujo has rejected the offer or not, but Barcelona have the short end of the stick as the club is financially not in a position to match the offer.
Araujo joined Barcelona in August 2018 after he left the Uruguayan club Boston River. He has not looked back since joining Barcelona’s B team. Araujo was impressive during his stint with the B team. He played 44 times and scored six goals and three assists.
Since his promotion to the senior team, Araujo has become a key player in defence for La Blaugrana. He has played 24 games this term for Barcelona, the latest being the 4-2 win over Atletico Madrid, where he scored a goal.
The 22-year-old is in line to replace Gerard Pique, whose heydays are well in the past. It would be an arduous task to convince Araujo to turn his back on the Manchester United offer. The Red Devils are keen to replace either Eric Bailly or Victor Lindelof.
By :
Steven D. Thompson
