Ronald Araujo clause: New scenario on one of the great mysteries of its renewal

Ronald Araujo's renewal with FC Barcelona continues to be a topic of discussion. Despite the Uruguayan defender signing a contract extension on January 23 that will keep him linked to the club until June 30, 2031, there are still many speculations surrounding a particular issue: the release clause of the Uruguayan player.

This mystery stems from FC Barcelona's new policy of not disclosing the release clauses of the players they renew, a practice observed in the renewal announcements of both Araujo and Pedri González, Gavi, and Gerard Martín. However, in Araujo's case, a significant change in his exit price began to be discussed, seemingly to facilitate a potential departure from the Catalan team if such a decision were to be made.

Versions regarding Ronald Araujo's new release clause after his renewal

The first information about a change in Ronald Araujo's release clause was suggested by 'Relevo' journalist Matteo Moretto, who indicated that it had been dramatically reduced from €1000 million to just €65 million. However, it was mentioned that this amount would progressively increase in each summer transfer window, reaching €80 million in the summer of 2026 and so forth.

Subsequently, 'MARCA' commented that the clause remained at €1000 million, but it was noted that there would be an opportunity during the first ten days of July 2025 for the value to drop to €70 million. This would allow a possible departure if Araujo chose to exercise this option, automatically reverting to €1000 million once this period elapsed.

FC Barcelona apparently 'protects' the Uruguayan

Now, amid this wave of information, a new version of the case has emerged. Journalist Miguel Rico, on the 'Tot Costa' program of Catalunya Ràdio, stated that although Ronald Araujo apparently has an accessible release clause of between €65 and €75 million, FC Barcelona has safeguarded itself with a contractual peculiarity.

This clause, while accessible, would exclude the main rivals of Barça from being able to pay it. In other words, teams like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, PSG, Chelsea, or Manchester City would not be able to afford this amount to acquire the services of the Uruguayan.

For them, the clause would have a much higher value, around €300 to €400 million, protecting FC Barcelona from potential attempts by direct rivals to take away a player who is among the best in the world. However, it leaves open the possibility for, for example, clubs from Saudi Arabia to consider signing him or even some teams with less economic power that do not directly compete with the Catalan team.