Chelsea preparing approach to sign Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo in January

Chelsea’s defensive department has been hit by an injury crisis this season with the likes of Benoit Badiashile, Levi Colwill, Tosin Adarabioyo and Wesley Fofana all unavailable to Enzo Maresca, thereby trimming his squad depth.

Nonetheless, Chelsea remain seventh in the Premier League standings with two defeats in seven outings, and also got their first Champions League win of the season against Benfica before the international break.

For how long they can sustain their form without a number of key defenders is now the big question looming over the Blues, though they are looking to resolve their problems by dipping into the transfer market during the winter.

As per Caught Offside, Chelsea are lining up a January transfer for Barcelona centre back Ronald Araujo, who has been linked with them since several months and would be the ideal answer to their defensive woes.

Araujo switch possible in January

Of the 10 matches that Barcelona have played in all competitions, Ronald Araujo has started and captained them in six outings, therefore indicating that he remains a key part of Hansi Flick’s squad this season.

That’s not to say a transfer for him would not be possible in January as Chelsea could look to make the most of Barca’s precarious financial situation by luring away a player that they have been open to selling since earlier this year.

Ronald Araujo was valued at £61 million by Barcelona at the start of the year, and as they look to balance their books, it is reasonable to think that such an offer from Chelsea would convince them into selling the Uruguayan.

Should Barca look to push him out, Araujo might also welcome a challenge in the Premier League, and his standout attributes like physicality, reading of the game and passing skills would help him settle into Enzo Maresca’s system without much trouble.