Barcelona have firmly shut the door on Juventus’s underwhelming initial offer for their star center-back, Ronald Araujo. Mundo Deportivo spilled the beans, reporting that the Catalan giants found Juve’s bid – the specifics of which remain shrouded in mystery – laughably inadequate. It’s no secret that Juventus are scrambling for defensive reinforcements. Injuries to key players like Gleison Bremer and Juan Cuadrado have left manager Thiago Motta sweating bullets, his defensive options looking thinner than a supermodel’s runway walk. After a string of unsuccessful pursuits of lesser-known defenders, their sights settled on Araujo.

Araujo himself, relegated to a bit-part role under the new manager, Hansi Flick, is reportedly less than thrilled with his current situation at Camp Nou. Add to that Barcelona’s well-publicized financial woes – they’re practically swimming in red ink – and you have a recipe for a potential sale. This seemingly presents a golden opportunity for Juventus. However, Barcelona aren’t about to let their prized Uruguayan asset go on the cheap.

Initial reports suggest a price tag hovering around €70 million – a figure that sounds more like a ransom demand than a transfer fee. Other Spanish outlets, however, whisper that a bid in the €45-50 million range might suffice.