Barcelona looked as if they had all but won the race to sign Jonathan Tah from Bayer Leverkusen, with the German international out of contract in the summer. Bayern Munich and Real Madrid had been interested in the 28-year-old, and his future could be back in the air.
Tah had agreed terms with Barcelona, and was close to signing a precontract for next summer with the Blaugrana. If Juventus succeed in their efforts to sign Ronald Araujo, that would all but ink his name on the contract. Yet Sport say that the Uruguayan defender’s future could dictate what happens with Tah. Should Araujo renew his contract with Barcelona, then Tah’s signing will go from well down the road to on stand-by.
Breaking: Juventus have not given up on Ronald Araújo. They’re preparing an offer worth €70m. The soap opera isn’t yet over. Via @Jordigil
— Barcacentre (@barcacentre) January 17, 2025
Araujo is has supposedly been persuaded to sign a new deal, but including a release clause that other teams see as ‘accessible’. AS Diary note that his contract renewal could be somewhat ‘artificial’, and a deal that allows Barcelona to bring in more money for Araujo if he does decide to leave this summer.
What is for certain is that neither Tah nor Araujo will accept a seconday role. Pau Cubarsi is seen as untouchable in the starting XI, and Inigo Martinez could accept a more secondary role next season. Both Tah and Araujo want guarantees on their future though, and the former will not wait until June to see how things progress with the latter in order to decide his future.
With Juventus reportedly willing to meet the original €60-70m asking price that Barcelona had set for Araujo, it looks as if they will be forced into making a decision between the two. Even if they sign a new deal with Araujo, he will have an exit route, whereas Tah could be tied down to a long-term deal immediately, presumably with a higher release clause.
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