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Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo has made a confident claim following the Catalan giants' 5-0 win against Daegu FC in a pre-season friendly. Hansi Flick's side looked excellent against the South Korean side and demolished them with a 5-0 scoreline.
Araujo started the game at the heart of the defence alongside Gerard Martin and played the first half. The Uruguay international has claimed that he is more than happy at Camp Nou and insisted on becoming even better in the years to come.
The Barcelona captain has dismissed speculations surrounding his future and admitted that he feels a lot better physically and mentally. The 26-year-old said, as quoted by Barca Universal:
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“Of course. I am very happy at Barcelona. They haven’t seen the best Ronald yet, and he is the one who will come in the coming years."
The Uruguayan defender added:
“Mentally, I’m very confident now, which I lost a bit last year with the injury. This year, I’m very motivated. I felt very good during preseason. I wanted to do well physically, but last year I struggled. I did very well, feeling very comfortable, more agile, and more confident.”
Araujo missed 31 games with injury problems last season and fell down in Hansi Flick's pecking order. Youngster Pau Cubarsi formed a formidable partnership with veteran Inigo Martinez as Araujo had to settle for a place on the bench when fit.
The defender was heavily linked with an exit from Barcelona in January and has also been linked with a departure this summer. However, he has made it clear that he wants to stay and fight for his place.
Araujo established himself as one of the best defenders in world football since moving to Camp Nou in 2018. He has made 175 appearances for the Blaugrana till date, helping them win six trophies.
Former Barcelona president claims new signing is better than Nico Williams
Former Barcelona president Joan Gaspart has claimed that new signing Marcus Rashford is a better player than Nico Williams. The Catalan giants were heavily linked with Williams but signed Rashford on loan from Manchester United after failing to land the Spaniard.
Athletic Bilbao lodged a complaint to LaLiga regarding Barca's financial situation which saw them missing out on Williams. The Spain international ended up at San Mames and signed a ten-year extension until 2035.
Joan Gaspart has claimed that Barcelona secured a better deal by landing Rashford instead of Williams. Gaspart has also hit out at Athletic Bilbao and Nico Williams' elder brother Inaki Williams. The former Barca president said, as quoted by The Mirror:
"First of all, for me, Marcus Rashford is better than Nico. From here on, I don’t care what Inaki [Williams, Nico's brother] might say. The player has used us in a good way – he’s gotten a good contract, and I’m happy for him."
He added:
"I don’t understand Athletic’s anger. I’ve signed many players from Bilbao, and always got along with their president. This is in the past. We have to focus on the season and trust the squad and the exceptional coach we have."
Marcus Rashford fell out with Ruben Amorim at Manchester United last season and spent the second half of the last season on loan at Aston Villa. He made 426 appearances for the Red Devils, having scored 138 goals and provided 77 assists.
