Manchester United 'offer' £8.4 million/year contract to Barcelona star - Reports

According to El Chiringuito, Manchester United have made a tempting offer in order to lure Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo in the summer.

Araujo joined Barcelona from Uruguayan club Boston River back in August 2018 as an 18-year old. He broke into the first team for the 2019-20 campaign and has established himself as a key player at Barcelona in the past two campaigns. Araujo has attracted interest from multiple big teams and has scored thrice in 25 appearances across all competitions this season.

The 22-year-old is under contract at Barcelona until the summer of 2023 although the Blaugrana have every intention of keeping hold of the player. The defender refused an extension offer from Barcelona before the pandemic and is reportedly aware of the interest of other clubs.

Still, Ronald Araujo is currently expected to stay beyond his current contract. That has obviously not deterred Manchester United, who have reportedly offered a contract worth £8.4 million-a-year to the player. Of course, a deal is still a long way away with the Red Devils expected to lodge an official bid in the summer.

Manchester United set to re-enter transfer market for a defender despite plethora of options

Harry Maguire’s record-breaking move was followed by the high-profile arrival of a certain Raphael Varane in the summer. While Varane established himself as the best defender at the club within weeks, Maguire’s regression has continued this campaign.

The club captain has made mistakes consistently and has been poor with the ball at his feet. Maguire tends to get caught out of position and was again at fault during Burnley's equalizer in their last game. There are still doubts over Victor Lindelof’s ability to deliver consistently while his physicality also comes under the scanner regularly.

Finally, in Eric Bailly Manchester United have a defender who has failed to realize his potential despite being given consistent chances. The club wanted to sell him in January along with Phil Jones but failed to negotiate any deal. Axel Tuanzebe has been sent out on loan to Napoli and can potentially be a squad player for the next campaign.

However, Manchester United will still need to sign at least one defender. Along with Araujo, they have also been linked with Borussia Dortmund’s Manuel Akanji in recent days. Both players are potential long-term replacements for Harry Maguire.