Former Barcelona official reveals stories of Araujo and Pedri’s signings

Barcelona have enjoyed immense success when it comes to nurturing young players, with the majority of their current first team comprising young talents with limitless potential.

Ronald Araujo and Pedri are two players, who, despite not being from the academy, have established themselves as first-team regulars.

However, in a recent interaction with Carrusel Deportivo, former Barcelona official Ramon Planes has revealed that Barcelona may not have gotten their hands on both Araujo if things had not gone according to the plan. He also revealed additional information regarding his role in Barça’s pursuit of Pedri.

“Araujo was much closer to Getafe than Barcelona. I scouted him for a season, and he had great potential,” he said about Araujo, who joined the club in 2018 in a €4.7 million deal from Uruguayan outfit Boston Rivers.

Araujo has since racked up over 100 competitive appearances for Barcelona, with many considering him the next great leader in the backline, after the retirement of Gerard Pique at the end of last year.

Planes, who served as the club director for Barcelona from 2018 to 2021, was a key mastermind behind the signings of Araujo and Pedri.

The 55-year-old, who is close to joining Real Betis, said Barça’s faith in him was crucial behind the signing of Pedri in 2019. “Barcelona officials believed in me a lot, we took a risk with Pedri and signed him without him playing any matches with the first Las Palmas team,” he said.

Pedri joined Barcelona in a deal worth €17.5 million. But the move has paid off for the Catalans, as the Spaniard has since established himself as one of the most talented young footballers on the planet, even winning the Golden Boy trophy not only ago.

Pedri, though, is currently injured with a muscle problem, though many expect him to return to action in Barcelona’s upcoming game against Atletico Madrid.