Manchester United and Arsenal make contract offers to 23-year-old Barcelona star - Reports

According to Spanish journalist Gerard Romero, Manchester United and Arsenal have made contract offers to Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo. The Uruguayan defender's current deal at the Camp Nou comes to an end next season.

Araujo has been one of the star players for the Blaugrana this season and the Catalan side are yet to come to terms with an improved deal for the defender.

A recent report stated that Barcelona has had their initial contract offers rejected by the Uruguayan star and the club remain wide of the mark when it comes to the demands made by Araujo.

Manchester United and Chelsea have registered their interest in the player. However, the current financial situation at the London club means that the Red Devils have had their path cleared up for the 23-year-old defender.

Spanish journalist Romero has now provided a fresh update regarding Araujo stating that United and Arsenal have made contract offers to the Barcelona defender. While Mikel Arteta's side offered an annual salary of 6 million per year, United are ready to give him 8 million to lure the Barca star away from Camp Nou.

It will be interesting to see if the Blaugrana will spring into action and look to sort out the contract situation of the 23-year-old quickly.

Barcelona boss Xavi opened up on Manchester United target Ronald Araujo's contract situation

Barcelona boss Xavi has talked about the contract situation of the Uruguayan star and Gavi. He said both stars are very important to the club in their renewals are of high priority.

"These are two very important players, the present and the future. They are working very hard and these are high priority contract renewals. The club is working on it, these things get drawn out for different reasons. I hope it works out for the club and the players. They both seem very happy here and for us they are very important. I hope it’s just a matter of time," said Xavi.

The 23-year-old defender has enjoyed a fine campaign with the Catalan side, having made 30 appearances for the club across all competitions.

Araujo has made 1.2 tackles and 2 clearances per game in the La Liga and also has a pass success percentage of 89. He has also scored 3 times for Barca in the league.

Given the uncertainty regarding the futures of Eric Bailly and Phil Jones, Manchester United could dip into the market for a new central defender. The poor form of club captain Harry Maguire also makes it a position that may need to be reinforced quickly.

Even former United star Rio Ferdinand had suggested that he would look to sign Araujo as one of the two defensive signings for the club.

It seems like Manchester United do have the advantage at the moment, as they have offered a far better contract for the Uruguayan star.

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