Sir Jim Ratcliffe is overseeing another busy summer at Manchester United
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Manchester United’s early focus in the summer transfer window appears to be on bolstering the club’s attack, with a deal for Matheus Cunha finalised, while the club have also been heavily linked with Brentford winger Bryan Mbeumo.
But after a Premier League campaign which saw them ship in 54 goals on their way to a minus-10 goal difference, this summer’s rebuild cannot afford to just focus on getting more attacking players in through the front door.
Last summer saw Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro join Manchester United, but with Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof leaving the club this summer and Harry Maguire into the final 12 months of his contract, more work is needed in the centre-back positions.
Manchester United get Barcelona green light
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick is said to be ready to get rid of a key player Manchester United have been linked with plenty of world-class defenders in recent years, but it would now appear that they may have the green light to go after one of their reported favourite targets.
Barcelona’s complicated financial position has meant they have had to make tough decisions in recent years and according to Spanish outlet Fichajes, they have put a price tag on the head of their vice-captain Ronald Araujo.
Barcelona vice-captain Ronald Araujo in action (Image credit: Alex Pantling – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)Manchester United have long been admirers of the Uruguay international, who has been a key player for Barca in recent years, but is now said to be available for €60million, as the Catalan side’s boss Hansi Flick does not see the 26-year-old as indispensable to his team.
The report adds that by selling Araujo, it would allow the club to balance their books and bring down the wage bill. There is, however, some debate inside the club, as some believe that a player with the leadership abilities of Araujo should not be sold.
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Others believe that key sales will be necessary if the club are bring in big-name new faces this summer, amid a proposed move for Spain winger Nico Williams.
The likes of Chelsea and Bayern Munich have also been linked with Araujo in recent months.
Ronald Araujo has been at Barcelona since 2019 (Image credit: PA)In FourFourTwo’s view, the Uruguay centre-back could be an excellent signing if the price is right, as the purse strings are relatively tight at Old Trafford as they continue to pay the price for poor transfer dealings in recent years.
But Araujo – who is valued at €35million by Transfermarkt – has the prototypical size to succeed in the Premier League and the leadership ability that the club has sorely lacked in recent seasons.
For more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.
