Aston Villa keen on surprise move to sign 25-year-old Barcelona superstar after Champions League qualification: Reports

Aston Villa are reportedly interested in signing 25-year-old Barcelona defender and third captain Ronald Araujo. The Uruguayan has been linked with a move away from Catalonia in the upcoming transfer window. The 2023-24 season has been an underwhelming one for Barca. Xavi’s men lost their league title to arch-rivals Real Madrid and bowed out of the UEFA Champions League in the quarterfinals to PSG. The trophyless season has been compounded by financial woes.Ahead of the upcoming season, Barca are expected to make several major sales to address their financial difficulties. One of the key players linked with a move away is Araujo, a crucial component of Xavi’s defensive setup. Interest in Araujo has come from top European clubs like Bayern Munich and Chelsea. As per Sport (via Barca Universal), Aston Villa have also entered the fray. Unai Emery’s Villa have qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time since the 1982-83 season, finishing fourth in the Premier League. That has positioned the club to make significant moves in the transfer market to strengthen their squad for their first Champions League campaign.Despite securing Champions League football, Villa must also trim their squad, with Emery reportedly giving the green light to put Diego Carlos on the market. Even if Aston Villa offload Carlos, meeting Barcelona’s €80 million demand for Araujo could prove challenging.