August 13, (THEWILL) – Bournemouth Football Club has completed the signing of Mexican defender, Julian Araujo, from Barcelona for a reported £8.5 million.
The 23-year-old right-back has agreed to a five-year contract with the English Premier League side, marking their fifth acquisition since the end of the previous season.
Araujo, born in California, began his professional career with LA Galaxy before moving to Barcelona in 2023. However, he never made a competitive appearance for the Spanish giants and spent the 2023/2024 season on loan at Las Palmas.
Neill Blake, Bournemouth’s Chief Executive, expressed his satisfaction with the signing, stating that Araujo had been on the club’s radar for some time. Blake emphasised the player’s potential and noted that Bournemouth had overcome significant competition to obtain his signature.
Despite representing the United States at youth level and earning one senior cap, Araujo switched his international allegiance to Mexico in 2021. This move adds diversity to Bournemouth’s squad and potentially broadens their appeal to Mexican football fans.
Bournemouth will begin their 2024/2025 EPL campaign with an away fixture against Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The addition of Araujo is expected to improve their defensive options as they aim to better their performance from the previous season when they finished in 12th place, matching their second-best EPL finish.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
