Barcelona signed Mexican defender Julian Araujo from MLS side LA Galaxy in a deal until 2026, both clubs said on Friday.
Barcelona missed out on signing Araujo on transfer deadline day as they were 18 seconds late in registering the paperwork, and said they would appeal to Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in a bid to get the player registered.
Araujo has signed a three and a half year contract until the end of the 2025-26 season, Barcelona said, adding that the 21-year-old will join the club's B team.
Julian Araujo has officially completed his transfer from the LA Galaxy to FC Barcelona, delayed after a paperwork snafu on deadline day.
The deal is around $4 million plus add-ons. Sources add LA will retain a significant sell-on percentage.Araujo, 21, made 100 MLS apps. pic.twitter.com/xjNKYahQ21
— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) February 17, 2023
¡ , @julian__araujo !
— Barça Atlètic (@FCBarcelonaB) February 17, 2023
Araujo, who joined LA Galaxy in March 2019, registered two goals and 20 assists in 108 games played across all competitions with the MLS club.
Love, Jules ✨ pic.twitter.com/6Y5DTHVleb
— Julian Araujo (@julian__araujo) February 17, 2023
"I wouldn't have been able to do this without you."
— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) February 17, 2023
Born in California, he was eligible to play for both the United States and Mexico. After playing for U.S. youth teams, he made his only appearance for the senior team in December 2020 against El Salvador.
In 2021, he requested for FIFA to approve his switch to represent Mexico, making his debut later in December in a friendly 2-2 draw against Chile.
(Reporting by Anita Kobylinska in GdanskEditing by Christian Radnedge)
