24-year-old Barcelona player rejected Chelsea to stay at the Camp Nou

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Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo had no interest in listening to offers from Chelsea last year.

That is according to a report from Sport.

It claims that both Chelsea and Liverpool were interested in signing Ronald Araujo in 2022, but the central defender rejected their advances and decided to put pen to paper on a new contract at the Spotify Camp Nou instead.

Araujo has played seven times for Barcelona in La Liga this season, scoring in their recent 1-0 win against Real Sociedad.

The Spanish giants signed Araujo from Boston River back in 2018.

Chelsea will survive without Ronald Araujo

Missing out on Araujo is not the end of the world for Chelsea, who still have a lot of good centre-back options.

In his squad, Mauricio Pochettino currently has Thiago Silva, Axel Disasi, Benoit Badiashile, Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana and Trevoh Chalobah.

Chalobah could be sold next year, while Silva’s contract expires at the end of the season, but their potential departures would still leave Chelsea with Disasi, Badiashile, Colwill and Fofana.

If Fofana can stay fit, Pochettino will have more than enough centre-half options for the 2024/25 campaign.

At the end of this season, Araujo will not have too long left on his contract, with his deal set to expire in 2026.

Chelsea could perhaps, then, have another chance to make a move for the 24-year-old. If they do not, though, or it proves unsuccessful, they will still have enough in their arsenal for next term.

Honestly, right now, the only thing the club should be thinking about is improving their attack. The Blues have not been good enough in front of goal this season, blanking in their last Premier League game against Brentford.

And with the form Tottenham Hotspur have been in, you fear a repeat tomorrow when Mauricio Pochettino’s side travel to north London.