Newcastle United are aiming to complete a signing that could emerge as one of the biggest coups of the summer transfer window so far.
The Magpies have already snapped up Lloyd Kelly on a free transfer, but it appears that they are looking to add another central defender to their ranks.
Barcelona’s Ronaldo Araujo has been linked with a host of clubs across Europe, but if reports are to be believed, Newcastle have entered the race to secure his signature.
Newcastle among three Premier League clubs to have made offers for Ronald Araujo
Eddie Howe‘s side, however, are set to face strong competition from Manchester United and Manchester City in the race for Araujo, whose long-term future remains unclear as he has thus far stalled on a new contract offer from Barcelona.
According to Marcos Benito, the Uruguayan defender has offers on the table from each of the three Premier League clubs as he faces an interesting summer ahead of him.
Araujo is currently at the Copa America 2024 and has featured in both group-stage games for Uruguay so far, most recently keeping a clean sheet in the 5-0 rout of Bolivia.
He’s a wanted man and rightly so, with Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr referring to him as his toughest-ever opponent.
Speaking at a post-match interview in April 2023, the Real Madrid forward quipped (quotes via Planet Sports): “The best defender I have ever faced is Araujo. He’s very strong and very good. That’s why he plays for Barca.”
Newcastle face uphill battle to sign Araujo this summer
Even if Barcelona agree to part with Araujo, Newcastle’s chances of signing him this summer remain slim.
The Catalan giants are likely to demand a massive transfer fee and with the Magpies scrambling to fall in line with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules, it remains unlikely that they’ll break the bank for any player, let alone Araujo.
Newcastle’s priority this summer will be to comply with the PSR guidelines while also retaining most of their prized assets, with Anthony Gordon, Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes watched by some of the biggest clubs on the planet.
If the Magpies dip into the transfer market, it’s unlikely to be for a central defender. With Lloyd Kelly Fabian Schar, Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles, they seem adequately stacked at the heart of the defence and would be better off addressing other areas of the pitch.
