"Umtiti vibes", "Crazy turnaround" - Barcelona fans react as star player signs new deal that will keep him at the club until 2031

Barcelona fans have taken to social media to react to centre-back Ronald Araujo signing a new deal which will keep him in Catalonia until 2031. There was a lot of uncertainty around the defender's future at the club, with reports heavily linking him to an exit this month.

Araujo seemed to be on the verge of a move to another club, with Juventus reportedly interested in his services. The Uruguayan defender returned to fitness in December after spending six months on the sidelines. Notably, La Blaugrana have been fairly successful with a backline consisting of Inigo Martinez and Pau Cubarsi, raising questions about Araujo's place in the squad.

However, an injury to Inigo Martinez has opened the door for the 25-year-old to return to the starting lineup. Since the start of January, he has made five appearances in all competitions for Barcelona, winning the Supercopa de Espana with the Catalan giants.

This seems to have appeased Araujo, who has now signed a contract extension with the club. Fans reacted to the news with comments like these:

"Umtiti vibes," a fan wrote.

"Crazy turnaround, if not for deco rizzing him up we'd be seeing Araujo in a Juve shirt by now," another fan claimed.

"They gave Araujo the gundogan money didn't they? Good luck lol," a fan mocked.

"NOOOOOOOO," another fan made their feelings clear.

"We just missed another opportunity to cash out Big this summer, why do we even care more about extending Araujo contract when we have Inigo Martinez, Cubarsi, Christensen, Eric Garcia playing the same position (CB)," a fan added.

"We're staying;!!!! Haters can HOLD;!" this fan was delighted.

"Best decision ever," another fan agreed.

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When Hansi Flick opened up about wanting Araujo to sign a new contract with Barcelona

On January 17, Hansi Flick discussed wanting defender Ronald Araujo to stay at Barcelona and sign a new contract. This came after reports claimed that the 25-year-old centre-back was being courted by Juventus.

When asked about the situation during a press conference, Hansi Flick made it clear that he wanted Araujo to continue at the club. He said (via Football Espana):

“As I said, he has 1.5 years left on his contact, and I hope for the club, for the team, for me, maybe after that, I hope that he signs a new deal. You can see in training, on the pitch, he’s different. He’s one of the best defenders for sure, and he has a lot of potential, and can play better.”

Flick will certainly be pleased that they were able to get an agreement in place for Araujo, which will see him stay at Barcelona until 2031.