Barcelona president confirms contract talks with three key players

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed that the club is in talks with Ronald Araujo, Pedri and Frenkie de Jong about new contracts.

Araujo put pen to paper on his current contract in 2022, with the club tying their centre-back down to a four-year contract. However, the Uruguayan has been heavily linked with a move away from Barcelona in recent months following reported interest from Premier League clubs Manchester United and Chelsea.

De Jong has been similarly linked with a move to the Premier League in recent times. The midfielder’s current contract in Catalonia also runs until 2026.

Pedri’s contract also runs until 2026, with the injury-plagued midfielder finally able to string together a run of games in the Barcelona set-up that has already seen him make nine starts in all competitions this season.

During his opening speech at FC Barcelona’s Ordinary General Meeting, club president Laporta confirmed that talks are underway between Barca and the representatives of all three players, revealing: “We are working on the new contracts of Araujo, De Jong and Pedri.”

Laporta also used the speech to hit back at critics of the club, especially around the ongoing Negreira case: “Our anthem says it: we fight against everything and everyone. This is not victimhood. We are fighting those who repeatedly say they will appeal the Negreira case that we win in court.

“Now that they are judging us, the instructions are not favorable. Every time we do well, it comes back. There are people who don’t want us to win, they are angry that we win. To defend ourselves, we cannot .” show weaknesses. They want to destroy us. We are brave and strong. We have to fight these elements where they come from and what they are looking for.

Barca was accused of “active bribery” by Barcelona’s Investigative Court No. 1 in 2023, while a trial over the charge is currently underway.