Barcelona captain warned not to join Manchester United: “Can’t go there and risk career”

Ronald Araujo’s worth to Barcelona cannot be understated. From a raw, promising talent, the Uruguayan has sculpted himself into a defensive colossus.

Unsurprisingly, his solid performances in recent seasons have garnered him a fair amount of suitors, with Bayern Munich recently having shown interest, and Manchester United maintaining a long-standing admiration for him.

It must be remembered that the Red Devils had made a play to sign the Uruguayan back in 2022, before he signed a new contract with Barça. And they continue to hold an interest in him.

Ferdinand argues Araujo would be risking his career

Speaking on the YouTube channel Vibe with Five, via Mundo Deportivo, Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand touched upon speculations tying Araujo with United, as he gave his brutally honest sentiments.

Acknowledging Araujo’s immense talents, Ferdinand argued going to Manchester United at this stage of his career appears to be an incredibly unappealing option, given the club’s recent experiences with top players.

“If I am a player like Ronald, who I think has all the attributes to be one of the best defenders in the world, why would I go to United ?” he rhetorically asked himself.

 “If you look closely, which player went to Manchester United and got better? Varane has gotten worse, and Casemiro has now regressed in value and worth. You would still get good money for Bruno Fernandes, but he is the only one,” he added.

Raphael Varane was once the centrepiece in Real Madrid’s defensive line, winning trophies on the regular.

But after a move to Manchester United, his career practically took a nosedive. Using his case as an example, Ferdinand justified why Araujo would be better off staying in Barcelona.

“I would be looking at Varane and thinking that if I go to Manchester United, I could end up on the bench for a left-back or for an old veteran like Jonny Evans, a former player who has returned to his last years.

“And someone who used to be captain and who was out for 18 months, but who is now back fit like Maguire. I can’t go there and risk my life and my career,” he stated.