In Barcelona's offices, work continues against the clock to balance the books and reshape a squad that hasn't made the desired leap in quality for all Barça fans. With Flick's arrival, the sporting management has been reactivated with new ideas and market moves that could completely change the club's immediate future. One of the plans that has surprised the most in recent hours involves a swap between two top-level footballers.
According to reports from Italy, Barça has proposed to AC Milan a swap deal that would include Ronald Araujo's departure to San Siro. In exchange, the blaugranas want to secure the services of Rafael Leao, one of the most unbalancing wingers in Serie A. Barça's intention is to kill two birds with one stone: reduce the wage bill and, at the same time, add attacking talent that fits the new coach's playing style.
The response from the Italian side couldn't have been clearer, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan's board received the proposal "with laughter and a certain irony." Indicating that they don't value that possibility in the slightest, at the Rossonero club they consider Leao an untouchable asset. Moreover, they believe the Portuguese player's market value is much higher than that of the Uruguayan center-back, so the deal seems completely unbalanced to them.
Araujo wants to be the new Maldini
From a sporting perspective, Milan understands that Leao is key to its medium- and long-term project, even though his performance has had ups and downs. His potential remains enormous and clubs like PSG or Chelsea have also shown interest in him; to part ways with the Portuguese striker, the Milanese entity would demand €120 million. Therefore, Barça's offer, even including a top center-back like Araujo, doesn't convince the Italians, who only want money for their Portuguese star.
Meanwhile, for Barça, the financial situation continues to force difficult decisions, Araujo has been one of the defensive pillars in recent years. His high salary and the interest of major European clubs make his sale a real possibility, even though Flick values his profile. The coach has given the green light to explore alternatives if that allows other areas of the field to be strengthened.
Rafael Leao can be included in the deal
The club sees Leao as an ideal profile to occupy the left flank and provide one-on-one imbalance. Despite Milan's initial rejection, Barça doesn't rule out continuing to insist; at the top of the blaugrana hierarchy, they believe the summer will be long. They understand that many clubs will change their stance as negotiations progress.
In any case, what is clear is that Ronald Araujo remains in the shop window. Whether through a direct sale or a swap, his continuity at Camp Nou isn't guaranteed. Meanwhile, Rafael Leao remains a difficult dream to achieve, but not impossible for a Barça that needs stars and urgent solutions in attack.