Araujo-style signings, a roadmap to follow

Ronald Araujo has been rumored in recent days as a target for Bayern and the Premier League. It is not surprising that the Uruguayan central defender of FC Barcelona is on the agenda of very important clubs, because now the celestial international is one of the best scoring defenders on the planet. At 24 years old, his evolution as a player has shifted to the market. The progress was amazing: when Barça signed him in August 2018 being unknown to the general public Its market value is one and a half million euros.. now, Five years later, its value reached 70 million of euros, according to specialist website Transfermarkt. Araujo is, in operational investment, sports performance and market value, the roadmap to follow for a Barça that needs to manage every euro invested with special care.

In reality, Barça already paid 1.7 million euros for Araujo in 2018 as a transfer to Boston River, in addition to a bonus that reached 5.2 million. He was then put on a contract termination clause of 100 million. In February 2020, Araujo reached that market valuation for Transfermarkt of 5 million, but Even in April 2020 it dropped a bit, to 4.5. Since then, his evolution has always been on the rise, still officially as a subsidiary player. As of July 2020, Araujo has reached 10 million. In October of the same year, in the first team Ronald Koeman gave him a field, he went to 15 million. They were 20 in January 2021, 25 in March 2021, 35 in December of that year, 40 in March 2022, 50 in June of the same year, 60 in September and in March 2023 it reached its current price: 70 million euros. After almost a month, Barça acquired a footballer who already had many suitors. Araujo raised his termination clause to 1,000 million euros, extending his contract as a culé, as he wished, until 2026.

Stage by stage, since his debut with the first team in October 2019 and with the Uruguayan national team since October 2020, Araujo has not stopped progressing. At 24 years old, he is considered one of the best centre-backs in the world, the position in which he shines and is the one he most wants to occupy, although with both Xavi Hernández, at Barça, and Marcelo Bielsa, at the Uruguayan team, he has performed many times as a right back due to the needs of the team.

According to Transfermarkt’s analysis, only two center-backs currently maintain a better valuation on the world market than Araujo and three others tied to the Blaugrana.

JOSKO GUARDIOL

80 million

Josko Gvardiol, a 21-year-old Croatian international center back, is valued by Transfermarkt at 80 million euros, 10 less than what Manchester City actually paid Leipzig for him in August for his purchase.

2

RUBEN DIAS

80 million

Manchester City also have another of the world’s most sought-after centre-backs, Portuguese international Ruben Dias. Signed in the summer of 2020 from Benfica for 68 million euros, currently 26 years old his valuation on the specialized website has reached 80 million.

3

WILLIAM SALIBA

70 million

One center back with the same market valuation as Araujo is 22-year-old French defender William Saliba. Arsenal signed him from Saint Etienne in 2010 for 30 million euros. That is, its price is more than double.

4

EDER MILITAO

70 million

From Porto, Eder Militao signed for Real Madrid in 2019 for 50 million euros. Recovering from a serious injury, the 25-year-old Brazilian center back is worth 70 million to Transfermakt.

5

MATTHIJS DE LIGT

70 million

Matthijs de Ligt is not at his best, but he still maintains a high market price: 70 million euros. At the age of 24, after being the subject of two generous transfers (from Ajax to Juventus in 2019 for 75+10 million and from Juve to Bayern in 2022 for 67+10), the Dutch international center back has price. top of 75, when it’s in the 70’s now.