Manchester United are among the Premier League teams interested in signing a “monster” defender whose contract talks with his current club are yet to gather pace. The Red Devils ended their five-game winless run over the weekend as they came from behind to beat Brentford 2-1 at Old Trafford, a victory that slightly eases the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag.
Mourinho relishing chance to get Ten Hag sacked from Man Utd after update
It would be quite the story at Old Trafford.
ByBen BrowningOct 20, 2024 Man Utd transfer news
The stories around Old Trafford in the last week or so have been about the future of Ten Hag, and while they haven’t fully gone away, the Dutchman will hope Saturday’s win is the start of a turnaround in results.
Away from the future of Ten Hag, the Red Devils are continuing to be linked with potential new players for when January comes around. Last week, United were linked with a move for Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane as he continues talks over a new deal with the German side.
As well as Sane, the agents of PSG striker Randal Kolo Muani have reached out to United over a potential switch to Old Trafford. The forward looks set to leave the French side in the near future, as he’s struggled to make an impact in the French capital. Meanwhile, United are also looking to balance the books and are happy to part ways with Antony and sell him for just £40 million, perhaps with the view towards one of Sane or Kolo Muani coming in.
The transfer stories at Old Trafford do not stop there, as the Premier League side continue to keep an eye on a player they have had an interest in for a while.
Man Utd watching Ronald Araujo as his contract ends in 2026
According to Caught Offside, Manchester United are interested in signing Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo. The Red Devils, alongside Chelsea, are said to be monitoring the Uruguay international as he prepares for talks over a new deal at the Spanish side.
The 25-year-old has been at Barça since 2018, when he joined from Boston River, but he didn’t make his step-up into the first team until around 2020. Since then, Araujo has become a key player for Barça, playing 37 times in all competitions last season.
The defender has yet to play for Barcelona this season, as he continues to recover from an injury, but he is believed to be a firm part of the plans at the Nou Camp still. However, this report states that United and Chelsea are still keeping an eye on Araujo, who has been described in the past by BBC analyst Raj Chohan as an “athletic monster.”
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The Red Devils are said to be prepared to make a move for Araujo if talks over a new contract at Barcelona do not progress. Barcelona president Joan Laporta has spoken publicly about trying to keep Araujo, but with his contract expiring in 2026, it means he will enter the final year of his contract next summer if no new deal is agreed, putting United on alert.
Araujo currently earns 134,615 euros a week at Barça, which is roughly £112,174, a figure that he would likely look to increase were he to move to United.
