Ronald Araujo: Does the Uruguayan have an 'escape route' in his renewal contract with Barça?

After all the controversy that surrounded his figure, FC Barcelona has finally managed to finalize the long-awaited renewal of the 25-year-old Uruguayan defender, Ronald Araujo. The Rivera native will be contractually linked to the institution, at least until 2031, if nothing changes, thus closing a major 'soap opera,' which even speculated on a possible departure of the player in this same winter transfer window due to Juventus' imminent interest in securing his services. Now, there is a detail that has raised particular curiosity in the announcement of the Uruguayan's renewal with FC Barcelona. While details have been provided about it, a particular aspect has not been disclosed: his release clause. It is to be remembered that Ronald Araujo, being one of the standout names of the Catalan team, had a release clause of €1000 million established in his previous contract with the Blaugrana in 2022. It is unknown if this condition remains in this renewal or if it has changed.

A decrease in his release clause, a new 'escape route' for Ronald Araujo?

With this in mind, 'SPORT' asserts that this secrecy surrounding Ronald Araujo's release clause could be because it has undergone a significant reduction. All of this is to make the Uruguayan an asset with a more affordable exit price in case any team wishes to secure his services in the future, a scenario that with a €1000 million release clause is practically unimaginable. Although the amount of the alleged new release clause of '4' has not been revealed, it is evident that this move, in principle, represents an escape route for Araujo in case he loses prominence, as he already experienced in the 2024-25 season. After recovering from his injury, he found an established central defensive pairing, Pau Cubarsí and Iñigo Martínez, which, if not for the physical setback of the Basque player (ruptured right thigh biceps), would likely not have left much room for him to be a starter, despite being a top-level asset. However, despite the reduction of this clause, expanding Ronald Araujo's options for departure a bit more, it is clear that for FC Barcelona, reaching an agreement of this kind remains beneficial, as by renewing him until 2031, they have more room to negotiate for him compared to the previous situation when the Uruguayan had a contract only until 2026. Now, in case both parties decide to part ways in the future, they can demand a fee commensurate with the player's prestige and sporting performance.