Barcelona achieved an important victory yesterday over Las Palmas with a score of 0-2, maintaining its lead in La Liga and continuing to confirm its strong performance under coach Hansi Flick.
Barcelona’s goals were scored by the duo Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres in the 62nd and 6+90th minutes, respectively. After this victory, Barcelona sits at the top of the La Liga table with fifty-four points, having won seventeen matches, drawn three, and lost five.
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According to information from the Spanish newspaper “El Nacional,” while the result was positive and the three points were crucial, the match raised important questions about the future of one of the key players in recent years: Ronald Araujo.
It seems that the Uruguayan center-back, who was considered a mainstay in Barcelona’s defense until recently, has lost the confidence of Flick, who no longer relies on him as one of the key players. In the absence of Inigo Martinez, the German coach decided to include Eric Garcia instead of Araujo, which shows that the latter is no longer the coach’s first choice in the defense line.
The arrival of Pau Copars has had a major impact on Barcelona’s defense, with the young defender becoming a regular in Flick’s starting XI. His performances in recent months have shown that he has the quality to lead the defense in the future.
On the other hand, Iñigo Martínez has also put in a strong performance that has convinced Flick of his ability, adding the necessary experience and solidity, along with his ball-handling skills, which perfectly fit into the style of play that Flick aspires to implement. Although Martínez missed the last match against Las Palmas, it was not Araujo who replaced him, but Eric Garcia, which indicates that the Uruguayan has lost his place in the starting XI.
Araujo’s situation has changed significantly in recent months. In the last winter transfer window, Barcelona rejected offers made for him and then renewed his contract. However, with his lack of confidence under Flick, his future with the team could be in jeopardy come next summer.
The Catalan club is aware that Araujo still has a high market value, and selling him could provide important income to improve the club’s financial situation. The player’s market value is estimated at around 60 million euros, an amount that could help Barcelona strengthen other positions in the team.
The message from Flick was clear: Araujo is no longer a key player in the Barcelona lineup. With the positions of Copars and Inigo Martinez confirmed in the starting lineup, Araujo has become a secondary option in the German coach’s plans.
