Staggering transfer fee revealed for the 'next Van Dijk' amid strong Man Utd interest

Barcelona defender Ronaldo Araujo, who has been earmarked as one of the best young defenders in the world, has had his price tag revealed following interest from Manchester United.

One team registering an interest right now is United; according to Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, United have lodged an enquiry to Barcelona about signing the defender in 2024. The report indicates that any deal is likely to cost around €80m (£69m) this month, but his current deal doesn't expire until 2026. Bayern Munich are also in the running, as it stands, but Araujo reportedly wants to stay in this window so the summer could see more concrete interest registered. Barcelona are having a mixed season by their standards and have fallen way behind in the La Liga title race, as Xavi's side sit 4th eight points off Girona at the top.

With Xavi's future also in question, Araujo may want to seize an opportunity to make the move elsewhere, perhaps to a club who have a consistent chance of winning trophies, which Barcelona do not seem like doing at the current time. They also just lost out to Real Madrid 4-1 in the Spanish Super Cup and they were thoroughly outplayed by Carlo Ancelotti's side, demonstrating the gap between the two sides.

He has been compared to Virgil van Dijk in the past and he could be a long-term option for Jurgen Klopp, given there has now been an update on his price tag. In terms of his quality, playing out from the back is something that is natural for the Uruguayan; he ranks in the top 7% among his European peers for successful take-ons per 90, as well as in the top 13% for progressive passes per 90. Defensively, he is strong, he has won 64% of his total duels in La Liga so far this term, as well as winning 58% of his ground duels.

Plus, he is blessed with an athletic six foot two frame and he possesses pace and poise, similar to Liverpool's captain. He can cover right-back, as well as centre-back, and offers a strong defensive presence that could emulate that of Van Dijk. The similarities are drawn particularly with his 1v1 defending, as he often dispossesses attackers and makes it look easy - but he certainly had an off night in the recent Super Cup against Real, as Vini Junior scored a hat-trick and Araujo was caught out on a few occasions, but, generally, he is a formidable force.

One of the more popular football talent scout accounts on X, Jacek Kulig (278k followers), compared him to Van Dijk back in 2021 and after 133 games for Barca, and 16 caps for Uruguay, he has developed into a very strong centre-back and is certainly a stand out player at the Nou Camp.

A long-term option will be required at Liverpool at some point across the next two summers and in terms of matching the profile of a 'Van Dijk' Araujo is certainly a great option - but there will be a lot of interest in the defender. Joel Matip will most likely depart in the summer and then there's Jarell Quansah, who has been brilliant this season, Ibrahim Konate, Joe Gomez and then Van Dijk but sooner or later, the club will have to plan for the future in that position and Araujo is certainly a dream option.