According to Mundo Deportivo.
Chelsea
are looking for a replacement for 39-year-old Brazilian center back Thiago Silva in the transfer market, and they have targeted Barcelona center back Ronald
Araujo
, and sent it a huge offer.
At the end of April, Thiago Silva announced that he would be leaving Chelsea, where he has played for 4 years, at the end of the season. As a result, the Blues started looking for a suitable replacement in the transfer market. The club have been eyeing Araujo for several months now, and they believe that the 25-year-old Uruguayan is ready to be a great leader at the back.
Araujo's current contract with Barcelona doesn't end until the summer of 2026, with a liquidated damages of 1 billion euros. Between February and March this year, Barcelona president Laporta personally presented Araujo with a contract extension, but has yet to receive a reply from the player.
Chelsea have been interested in Araujo for a long time and have stepped up their pursuit of the Uruguayan center-back after Thiago Silva announced his departure. Chelsea believe Araujo can fill the void left by Thiago Silva's departure and become the centerpiece of the team's defense.
Although Barcelona consider Araujo as a non-sale item, they have not completely ruled out the possibility of selling him due to his popularity and high market value in the transfer market. Previously, Bayern were in hot pursuit of Araujo, but the player was not interested in the Bundesliga.
