Barcelona’s 4-3 extra-time loss against Inter Milan in the Champions League semi-finals is a result that could play perfectly into the hands of Manchester United.
In a spectacular semi-final second leg at San Siro, Barca’s defensive fragility was made clear as they conceded four times against an Inter side that had hit three in an equally thrilling 3-3 draw six days earlier in Catalunya.
Blaugrana fans have been left frustrated with the state of their defence, and in particular the performances of Ronald Araujo, who was widely criticised for his display in Milan on social media.
Doubts had already been raised about the Uruguay international centre-back, who was once branded the ‘best in the world’ in his position by previous head coach Xavi.
Hansi Flick is clearly not so sure. The German preferred to start Inigo Martinez in both legs of the Champions League showdown and, according to Barca fans, was justified in his stance as Araujo came onto the field and struggled.
Ronald Araujo to Man Utd: Time to make a deal happen
Now is the time for Man Utd to pounce. Ruben Amorim’s side need reinforced in the middle of their defence, and with Everton asking an exorbitant price for Jarrard Branthwaite, switching their interest to Ronald Araujo is a logical step.
The 26-year-old centre-back has a release clause worth €65 million, which is a reasonable price to pay given his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) stands a little over €55m.
And Man Utd could be in a position to negotiate a lower fee. Barcelona’s financial position is known to be vulnerable, and with the Catalans in need of a big-money sale to facilitate new signings, Araujo could conceivably be a player that they can sacrifice.
The big pro to signing Araujo is that he is purpose-built to play in Ruben Amorim’s style. The South American is given a five-star rating by SciSports’ Career Advice tool when it comes to playing style at Old Trafford. Furthermore, the 3-4-3 formation isn’t a bad fit for him.
There are doubts over how much playing time he might get with the Red Devils, but with Matthijs de Ligt having failed to come up to expectations at Old Trafford, Man Utd would surely be wise to consider this deal.
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