Barcelona are projected to be very busy this summer, as they seek to address a number of areas in Hansi Flick’s squad. As well as the expected new signings of a centre-back and striker, there could also be significant departures, and two of these attracting strong interest in recent weeks have been Ronald Araujo and Gerard Martin.
According to MD, Araujo has seen interest in his services grow in recent months, with clubs very attentive to his lack of prominence at Barcelona. Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan all see the Uruguayan defender as a possible option for the number, with the Premier League giants prepared to make an offer of €35m.
The same report has also highlighted information from ESPN regarding Milan’s pursuit of Martin. The 24-year-old is regarded highly within the Rossoneri for his ability to operate as a centre-back and left-back, although any deal will be difficult to do in the summer.
According to MD, neither Araujo nor Martin has any desire to leave Barcelona this summer. In the case of the former, he wants to work his way back into being a regular starter for the Catalans, with his lack of prominence not seen as a reason for him to want out at the Spotify Camp Nou.
As for Martin, his increased role this season is a clear motivation for him to remain in Catalonia. Even when a new left-sided centre-back arrives in the summer, he would still have an important role to play across the backline, both in the middle and on the left.
Despite this, Barcelona may actively look to sell one of Araujo or Martin in the summer. They may need to raise funds for signings, given that the desire is for a top-level centre-back and striker to come in, while money will also be needed to turn Marcus Rashford’s loan into a transfer.
