Barcelona’s 21-year-old defender on the radars of European giants – report

Barcelona and FC Porto are in advanced negotiations over the move of Nico Gonzalez. The player’s agent shares a good relationship with the Portuguese side, facilitating talks between the parties and solidifying the move of the currently out-of-favour La Masia starlet.

According to reports from SPORT, the conversations between Barcelona and Porto are not limited to Nico’s transfer. The Primeira Liga side are also maintaining a close eye on the availability of Julian Araujo and would not be opposed to signing him this summer.

The young right-back has made the squad travelling to the United States of America for pre-season. Xavi Hernandez hopes to give the former LA Galaxy player a chance to prove his worth, but the chance of him featuring as a mainstay for a season appears grim.

Barcelona believe that Araujo still has a lot to learn and finetune in his trade, and have been working on his exit for a while now. Las Palmas were well placed to sign the American International, but negotiations appear to have hit a standstill.

The right-back arrived at Barcelona last winter as Xavi’s side struggled without a natural right-back. His arrival on deadline day, however, did not go to plan as it later came to light that the paperwork was completed minutes after the window had closed.

Over the past six months, the young defender trained with Barça Atletic and sometimes with the senior team. Reports suggest that he found the adaptation complicated. Nevertheless, Xavi hopes to be able to count on the player in a few years once his growth is complete.

It remains to be seen how much prominence Xavi is willing to give the youngster during the pre-season. The possibility of granting him leave midway to complete a move to Porto is a real possibility.

A move to the Portuguese club could be good for Araujo as he would get exposed to the demands and rigours of Champions League football. And the experience will only hold him in good stead for the future with Barcelona.