Tottenham Hotspur have submitted a formal £30m offer to sign Barcelona centre-back Ronald Araujo, according to Fichajes.
After coming back from two goals down to secure a point against Manchester City on Sunday, Spurs are looking to rejuvenate their poor form in the first half of the season.
The club are looking to make adequate reinforcements before the deadline after previously completing the signings of Conor Gallagher and Souza from Atletico Madrid and Santos, respectively, with Araujo now being eyed as their next target.
The 26-year-old has had both highs and lows at the Catalan club. He has played a significant role in the club’s trophy-laden campaign since he arrived in 2018, winning seven domestic titles, including two LaLigas.
However, his role has reduced in recent seasons, firstly due to costly individual errors as well as the emergence of Pau Cubarsí, who has remained a mainstay in the Blaugrana’s backline.
Despite that, his experience remains invaluable, and he still has a lot of quality to offer, particularly at the highest levels.
According to Fichajes, Tottenham have submitted a formal offer to Barcelona for the possible transfer of Araujo to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Bold swoop
The Spanish champions are currently evaluating Spurs’ offer internally after the North London club submitted a £30m fee, which is divided into a £25m fixed fee plus £4m in add-ons, according to the report.
The Spanish outlet adds that the 6ft 3in centre-back fits into the mould of a physically imposing, combative and experienced centre-back needed for Thomas Frank’s backline, and the club are optimistic the Uruguayan can rediscover his form with them, as the league’s physicality is better suited to his qualities.
Tottenham have been plagued by injuries this season, leading to a lack of reliable depth. The same problems showed again on Sunday during the draw with Manchester City, as Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso, and Djed Spence were unavailable; Ben Davies was also absent; and Cristian Romero was forced off at the break after picking up an issue.
There could be a real need for a new defender before the winter transfer deadline, and Araujo would be a viable option for the club to hand the manager an imposing weapon at the back, similar to when he had Ethan Pinnock at Brentford.
