Matteo Moretto Transfer Column: Ronald Araujo interest, changes to Arda Guler situation and the Joaos

2 weeks ago 11

Matteo Moretto gives Football España exclusive information on the latest deals dominating the papers in Spain, as revealed in Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing.

Manchester United one of Premier League sides interested in Ronald Araujo

As we have been reporting since the start of the year, Ronald Araujo has not yet reached an agreement with Barcelona to extend his contract, and if important offers arrive in the summer, the Blaugrana will consider doing a deal.

We revealed last week that Bayern Munich are not actively pursuing a deal as things stand, contacts between the German side and Araujo’s camp are stagnant. There are Premier League teams interested in his situation, such as Manchester United, but as of today there is no negotiation between the Red Devils and the Uruguayan. When I say this, I’m referring to enquiries and nothing more.

Barcelona and Xavi Hernandez really like Joshua Kimmich, who has a year left on his deal this summer, but I cannot speak to any talk of him being part of a player swap.

Real Madrid impressed with Arda Guler mentality

Real Madrid will speak with Arda Guler’s entourage in the coming weeks to decide what path to take, but the truth is that the player’s latest performances have impressed everyone at Real Madrid, from his teammates to Ancelotti.

Last month it was clear that even if some at the club were keen on him staying, and the coaching staff thought it was best for him to head out on loan next season, Arda Guler’s mental strength, to be ready when called upon, has been a very pleasant surprise. As things stand, Ancelotti is open to retaining him, as he remarked in his press conference on Friday night.

But, I repeat, the parties will sit down towards the end of the season, when the season objectives are met, to have a clear discussion on how to proceed.

Barcelona still keen on Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo in spite of reports

The two Joaos are two important players for Barcelon, and Barcelona will soon speak with agent Jorge Mendes to see how to retain them. Joao Cancelo is part of Barcelona’s plans for the future and they will soon negotiate with Manchester City to find a way to keep him. On the other hand, with Joao Felix it remains to be seen if an agreement can be reached with Atletico Madrid, who would prefer to let him leave permanently.

Last month, it was reported that Ansu Fati could head to Atletico with Felix going the other way on loan, and while I won’t comment on that, Ansu is not part of Barcelona’s plans and an exit will be found for him.