RONALD ARAUJO has shattered the transfer hopes of Liverpool and Manchester United by revealing he plans to stay with Barcelona.
Both the Prem giants have been trailing the defender in the hopes of recruiting him this summer.
Araujo has revealed his intent to stay with Barca in a bitter blow to Liverpool and Man UnitedCredit: Rex
The 23-year-old has become a staple in Barca’s backline under Xavi this season.
But contract talks with the La Liga giants hit the skids as the Uruguayan reportedly wants to be paid more than Barca are currently offering.
ESPN reported last month that 23-year-old earns £80,000-a-week, which works out to be £4.2million annually.
But Araujo wants a deal that mirrors fellow Barca youngsters Pedri and Ansu Fati who pocket a whopping £5m every season.
Several outlets also claimed that he’s disgruntled about the Catalan titan’s pursuit of Chelsea defensive duo Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta.
Man United and Liverpool hoped to pounce on Araujo’s apparent discontent with Barca by offering him a hefty pay packet to lure him to the Prem.
But Araujo’s dealt both the North West giants a huge blow by admitting he’s quite happy in Spain and wants to remain at Barca for many years to come.
Araujo made the admission after Barca defeated Sevilla 1-0 courtesy of a stunner scored by Pedri that also saw Ivan Rakitic strip down to his underwear and gift his kit to the club’s fans after the game.
The centre-back said, reported by ESPN: “We are working on [a new deal].
“There are [more] meetings this week and I hope it’s resolved soon because I want to stay at this club for many years.”
Barca boss Xavi has also stated that he wants Araujo to remain at the club.
