How Luis Suarez’s intervention helped Barcelona smooth contract talks with 25-year-old defender | OneFootball

According to an insightful report by Fernando Polo in Mundo Deportivo, former Barcelona star Luis Suarez played a crucial role in the club’s efforts to retain key defender Ronald Araujo amidst interest from other clubs.

Suarez’s close relationship with Araujo has been a valuable asset during a challenging time for the player.

Over the past several months, Araujo has faced multiple difficulties, including interest from Bayern Munich, a costly red card against PSG, a confrontation with teammate Ilkay Gundogan, concerns over his contract renewal and an injury during the Copa America that required surgery in late July.

Barcelona were in touch with Suarez over Araujo

The outlet mentions that throughout this period, Suarez stayed by Araujo’s side, and Barcelona were well aware of their strong bond.

Due to this close friendship, Suarez was occasionally asked by the club to provide updates on how Araujo was handling the situation.

On one such occasion, Suarez warned Barcelona that Bayern Munich’s offer posed a real threat. While the financial aspect was tempting, Araujo was more driven by his desire to compete for major trophies.

Luis Suarez and Ronald Araujo share a great friendship. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

In response, Barcelona held discussions with Araujo’s agents, expressing their intent to renew his contract as part of a winning project. However, despite these efforts, Araujo had not given a clear response months later.

The club consulted Suarez once more. Following his input and further investigation, Barcelona began to suspect that Araujo might not have received all the necessary details of the club’s offer. This prompted President Joan Laporta to intervene directly.

Laporta’s intervention

In March, during the premiere of a documentary about Araujo produced by ‘Barça One,’ Laporta personally spoke with the defender. He explained the offer that Deco had presented to Araujo’s agents and outlined the project for both the short and medium term.

Later, in the same month, Laporta went public to mention that Araujo was very much part of the club’s future but acknowledged that there had been a breakdown in communication during negotiations.

Thanks to Suarez’s involvement, this ‘communication distortion’ was resolved, and Laporta expressed his gratitude to the Uruguayan striker for his critical role in the situation.