Thomas Tuchel refuses to deny rumoured phone call with Barcelona's Ronald Araujo
- Thomas Tuchel is rumoured to have had a phone call with Ronald Araujo
- Tuchel is a huge admirer of the defender
- Araujo is a key player for Barcelona
Thomas Tuchel has refused to deny rumours he has talked to Ronald Araujo about a potential move to Bayern Munich.
Reports have circulated in recent days regarding Bayern manager Tuchel phoning Barcelona defender Araujo to express his desire to sign him in January.
Speaking to Sky Germany, Tuchel did little to quell these rumours, saying: “I won’t comment on that in any direction. We only talk about our players.
“I also spoke to my mother on the phone, but there were no reports of it!”
Araujo has been a key player of the past few seasons under Xavi Hernandez, playing a huge role as Barcelona won the La Liga title last season.
The defender has, however, recently vented his frustration at being utilised as a right-back during the 2023/24 campaign by Xavi, sparking speculation about his future by saying:
"The truth is, I don’t like playing as a right-back," he told beIN Sports. "That’s the reality.
"But I always say, wherever the coach and the team ask me, I’m going to play and give my best, but obviously I feel very comfortable playing as a centre-back because it’s my natural position and it is where I can give 100%."
Tuchel is believed to be a huge admirer of the Uruguayan, with reports stemming from Germany suggesting that the manager is keen to sign the defender in January in order to shore up Bayern's surprisingly leaky defence.
Bayern were shockingly thumped 5-1 by Eintracht Frankfurt at the weekend, with the defensive partnership of Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae being heavily criticised for their showing on Saturday afternoon.
Despite said rumours, Mundo Deportivo have reported that Araujo's agent has denied claims that a conversation took place between Tuchel and the defender, with the player more likely to sign a new contract at Barcelona rather than leave the club anytime soon.
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