Chelsea ready to offer 'lot of money' in attempt to sign 25-year-old Barcelona superstar: Reports

Chelsea are reportedly ready to table a significant offer to lure Ronald Araujo away from Barcelona in the upcoming transfer window.

Araujo, whose current contract is set to expire in June 2026, has cemented himself as one of the Blaugrana's most important stars in the past few campaigns. The 25-year-old has lifted one La Liga title, a Copa del Rey crown, and one Supercopa de Espana so far.

A 16-cap Uruguay international, Araujo is regarded as one of the best defenders in the world owing to his ball-playing ability and towering stature. He has netted eight goals in 150 total games for Barcelona, playing primarily as a centre-back and also as a right-back.

Now, according to SPORT, Chelsea are interested in snapping up Araujo to bolster their defence this summer. They are willing to offer 'a lot of money' to both the star and Barcelona ahead of the next season.

Meanwhile, Barcelona are currently attempting to secure Araujo's future with a new deal this summer. However, they are yet to make progress as their proposal will be lower than what other teams can offer.

Should Araujo decide to move to Stamford Bridge in hopes of a new adventure, he would pop up as a crucial starter for the west London outfit. He would likely replace Thiago Silva, who will depart on a free.

Ex-Barcelona and Chelsea star Emmanuel Petit asserts Blues should change captain

Speaking to betting website BoyleSports, ex-Barcelona star Emmanuel Petit stated that Reece James should be stripped of Chelsea captaincy by the club's new boss. He said (h/t Metro):

"We all know James is such a great player and we're always crossing our fingers that he plays as much as possible. However, how much has he played in the last two years? It's nowhere near enough. You cannot be the captain when you miss the majority of the games. It reminds me of Abou Diaby at Arsenal when you could just never rely on him due to his unfortunate injuries."

Opining on who should be the new Chelsea captain, Petit commented:

"Conor Gallagher should be the club captain, it certainly needs to be considered by the new manager. Gallagher is a symbol on the pitch and plays every game, so it has to be him."

James, who was named the Blues captain last summer, registered two assists and picked up two red cards in just 11 outings this campaign.

Conor Gallagher, on the other hand, bagged seven goals and laid out nine assists in 50 games across competitions for Chelsea this term.