Barcelona captain intends to stay at club and fulfill contract after difficult season | OneFootball

According to journalist Santi Ovalle, Ronald Araujo has no plans to leave Barcelona and remains fully committed to the club despite continued speculation surrounding his future.

The Uruguayan defender, one of the club captains, wants to remain at Barça and intends to fulfill the five-year contract he signed in January last year, which runs until 2031.

Despite regularly being linked with a move away from Barcelona during recent transfer windows, Araujo believes his future remains at the club.

The defender considers himself one of the team’s leaders and feels the club has continued to show confidence in him, reinforcing his desire to stay. With that backing, he has no intention of seeking a move elsewhere.

A disappointing World Cup

Araujo endured a difficult 2025/26 season, as he missed a stretch of games due to mental health issues, and then found minutes hard to come by under Hansi Flick.

Araujo did not play at the World Cup due to injury. (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)

Following that, the centre-back’s preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Uruguay were disrupted after suffering an injury during the week leading up to the tournament.

The setback prevented him from featuring in any of Uruguay’s matches, with Marcelo Bielsa’s side ultimately being eliminated in the group stage following defeat to Spain.

A potential first captain

The 27-year-old defensive ace is preparing for what will be his sixth season as a first-team Barcelona player.

Should Marc-Andre ter Stegen leave the club this summer, the Uruguayan is expected to become one of the leading candidates to inherit the captain’s armband, reflecting his growing importance both on and off the pitch.

Araujo could become Barcelona’s first captain if Ter Stegen leaves. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

However, what status he will have in Flick’s squad remains to be seen, considering that the likes of Pau Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, and even Gerard Martin were ahead of him in the pecking order in the last season.

Moreover, Andreas Christensen has also agreed a renewal with Barcelona and the club are not ruling out signing another defender.

But, with a long-term contract in place and the club continuing to express confidence in him, Araujo’s priority remains clear: to continue building his career at Barcelona.