Ronald Araujo, FC Barcelona’s central defender and one of the club captains, renewed his contract with the Catalan side in January 2025, extending it until June 2031. One of the most notable aspects of the new deal was a special clause allowing him to leave the club for €60 million between July 1 and July 15, 2025.
However, as reported by SPORT, that window closed yesterday. Now, any club interested in signing him will have to trigger his full €1 billion release clause.
Back in January, rumors swirled about the Uruguayan leaving Barcelona for Juventus due to limited playing time under the new manager, Hansi Flick.
Ronald Araujo had missed the start of the 2024–25 season due to an injury, which made it difficult for him to adapt to Flick’s high defensive line. Meanwhile, the duo of Pau Cubarsí and Iñigo Martínez thrived in the system, further pushing Araujo out of the starting XI.
Frustrated by the situation, Araujo was reportedly willing to join Juventus for just €35 million in January, with only 18 months left on his previous deal.
However, Barcelona were reluctant to let go of a player of his potential for such a low fee. To protect their asset, the club convinced him to renew his contract until 2031, including a special clause that allowed him to leave for €60 million this summer if his playing time didn’t improve.
Despite Barcelona’s ongoing financial pressure and their need to achieve 1:1 status in terms of salary cap compliance, Ronald Araujo is no longer expected to leave. With the club now working to extend the contract of another centre-back, Eric Garcia, Andreas Christensen appears to be the only defender no longer in the club’s plans.
This has opened the door for Araujo to fight for his place in the starting XI. He has made his intentions clear, stating: “This year, you are going to see my prime.”
