Story byBarcelona unlikely to consider signing a new defender in January if captain returns soonBarca UniversalFri, December 5, 2025 at 5:48 PM UTC·2 min readBarcelona have found themselves in a precarious position lately after club captain Ronald Araujo decided to take an indefinite leave amid struggles with mental health issues. The Uruguayan international made a huge error in the Champions League game against Chelsea, costing Barcelona any real chance of making a comeback. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAraujo was met with immense criticism after the defeat at Stamford Bridge, prompting the defender to sideline himself from football. With no real update on when exactly Araujo will return to action, there have been calls to reinforce the defensive unit in the upcoming January transfer window. Barcelona’s view on the Araujo situationHowever, journalist Alfredo Martinez has recently offered an update on the Barcelona and Araujo situation. He claims that the Catalans are not too particular about signing a new defender in the upcoming winter transfer window. If the Araujo situation doesn’t get too complicated and if the Uruguayan international returns on time, Barcelona will not consider signing a new player. When will Araujo return to action? (Photo by Angel Martinez/)AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn any case, the Catalans might not be in a position to spend a large amount of sum in January given the club’s ongoing financial situation. With Barcelona just returning to Camp Nou, it will take some amount of gestation period before the club are in a position to increase their revenue through the new stadium. Not to mention, the salary space remains a problem for Barcelona, who have already renewed the contracts of multiple stars throughout this year. Eric Garcia became the latest player to sign a contract extension. Furthermore, Hansi Flick has opted for makeshift options in central defence, and Gerard Martin’s performance at left centre-back was a real highlight of Barcelona’s most recent game against Atletico Madrid.