Barcelona defender’s first professional coach says he can become better than Puyol

Ronald Araujo has enjoyed a stunning growth in reputation over the past year or so. The Uruguayan was one of the few positives to emerge out from the Ronald Koeman era at Barcelona as he established himself as a mainstay in the backline.

Signed from Boston River back in 2018, the 22-year-old made his debut in 2019 but it was not until last season that he became a regular in the side. And, he has not looked back since at all, becoming one of the most impressive centre-halves in La Liga.

So much so that several top clubs from England and around Europe are already casting admiring glances towards Araujo.

The Uruguayan international will be in the lineup when Barcelona face local rivals Espanyol this weekend. Ahead of the game, Sergio Cabrera, who was the defender’s first professional coach at Rentistas and Boston River, opened up on the youngster’s journey.

Speaking in an interview with Mundo Deportivo, he revealed how the youngster had initially started out as a striker before moving into the central defence.

“It doesn’t surprise me that Araujo scores quite a bit now. He’s got the soul of a striker still, which is the position in which he started at. When I first met him at 16 years old, he had everything to succeed in football,” he said.

“Back then, Araujo already had massive potential, in every aspect. Dedication, he wanted to improve, he was looking for that opportunity that finally came. Everyone saw what I saw, except he played as a pivot, not centre-back,” he added.

Cabrera, whose son Leonardo plays for Espanyol, also commented that Araujo’s contract renewal should not be an issue for Barça. “I don’t think there will be any problems with Araujo’s contract renewal. He is a very big Culé. I don’t know what his agents think, but if it’s up to him, he’ll stay,” he said.

He also went on to compare Araujo to Barcelona legend Carles Puyol, claiming that the Uruguayan still has a long way to go to match up to the Camp Nou icon. However, Cabrera did add that the Uruguayan has what it takes to even do better than the ex-Barça captain.

“I think it’s a little too early to compare Araujo to Puyol. First of all, he needs to win a lot of titles. Right now, he’s a little far, but I think Araujo could even become better than Puyol. His potential has no ceiling.”