FC Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo pledged his future to the club while on international duty.
FC Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo addressed his future at the club before the weekend while on international duty, explaining that he is happy with life in Catalonia.
The turn of 2024 brought with it reports from Mundo Deportivo that Bayern Munich is interested in buying the centre back.
The same newspaper also revealed that the Uruguayan would wait until the end of the season, and see how things pan out with the Blaugrana before making any decision.
A lot has changed since then. While Barca looks likely to cede its La Liga title to bitter rivals Real Madrid come May considering an eight-point gap between the two giants, Xavi Hernandez’s team has advanced to the Champions League quarterfinals and Araujo has a new, potentially-world class defensive partner in Pau Cubarsi.
Asked about his future ahead of a friendly against the Basque Country with Uruguay, Araujo said: “There has been a lot of talk about this topic, but I am happy in Barcelona.
“Furthermore, we have to finish the season well because there are still challenges, [and] also with Uruguay [there is] the Copa America,” he added.
After suffering an injury earlier this term, Araujo revealed he is physically “fine” though “a little tired from the important games we have played with Barcelona”.
”But I am fine and ready to learn what he wants to tell us,” Araujo vowed, in relation to Uruguay’s typically demanding coach Marcelo Bielsa.
Araujo revealed that the manager known as ‘El Loco’ is “basically adjusting details for the Copa America”.
“Training is important to test what the coach asks of us,” Araujo stressed, saying that Bielsa “has insisted on tactics, but he also wants intensity, movements, closing down, [to know] when to jump to the mark, when not to, when to come out playing from the back, to be protagonists, how we connect with the midfielders… A little bit of everything”.
As for the Copa America, which this summer will be held on American soil, Araujo remarked that there are many “rivals” to overcome and “very tough ones” such as Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Ecuador.
“It will be an intense and competitive Copa America. It will be decided by details,” Araujo predicted.
