Barcelona captain wants to stay at club and win back his place in team after difficult year | OneFootball

The past year has been a difficult one for Barcelona defender and second-captain Ronald Araujo.

The Uruguayan international battled mental health issues, lost his place in the team and barely featured under Hansi Flick during the course of the campaign.

The FIFA World Cup also did not unfold as he had hoped. A muscle injury prevented the Uruguayan defender from featuring in any of his country’s three matches.

Araujo believed he would at least be fit in time to face Spain, but ultimately he was unable to recover before Uruguay’s elimination.

No intention of leaving

Now, according to MARCA, despite the speculation surrounding his future throughout the summer, Araujo has never seriously considered leaving Barcelona.

The defender returned to Catalonia today after enjoying a short holiday following his team’s elimination from the World Cup. With his international duties now behind him, the centre-back’s full focus has shifted back to Barça.

Ronald Araujo endured a difficult year. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

According to those close to the situation, the defender is fully committed to remaining at Barcelona and would only rethink his future if the club explicitly informed him that he was no longer part of their plans.

At present, there is no indication that such a scenario exists.

A crucial campaign ahead

Araujo knows that the upcoming campaign could be one of the most important of his career after last season proved especially challenging.

His absence inevitably affected his standing within the squad. By the end of the season, Pau Cubarsi and Gerard Martin had established themselves as the preferred central defensive partnership.

Whenever either was unavailable, Eric Garcia was also selected ahead of Araújo.

Determined to become a starter

Now that he feels fully recovered, Araujo believes the upcoming season will be very different. His objective is clear: reclaim a permanent place in Barcelona’s starting eleven. He also recognises that the challenge will not be easy.

Wants to become a starter. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Competition for the two centre-back positions is fierce, with Cubarsi, Martin, Eric, and the recently renewed Andreas Christensen all competing for minutes. That leaves five defenders battling for just two starting spots.

For Araujo, pre-season will be vital. He knows that arriving in top physical condition will give him the best opportunity to convince Flick that he deserves to return to the heart of Barcelona’s defence.

The defender is also aware of what is at stake. If he cannot establish himself again at Barcelona, there may eventually come a time when he has to consider a move elsewhere.

For now, however, his commitment remains unwavering. His priority is to stay at Barcelona, fight for his place, and once again become one of the first names on Hansi Flick’s team sheet.