Bayern Munich have reportedly ended their interest in a January deal for Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo.
The German champions are known to be in the market for defensive reinforcements next month, having seen Matthijs de Ligt spend weeks out of action with a knee injury.
De Ligt was back on the bench for the Bavarians' 3-0 win over Stuttgart on Sunday, but Thomas Tuchel's side are still being linked with a move for a new centre-half in the winter window.
Araujo had apparently been identified as a leading target for Bayern, who were understood to have been willing to pay whatever it takes to bring the Uruguay international to Bavaria.
However, a report from Sky Deutschland states that Tuchel's team are no longer pursuing a January transfer for Araujo, despite being prepared to fork out €60m (£51.6m) for his services.
Tuchel and Araujo were understood to have spoken over the phone in December, alongside sporting director Christoph Freund, and there is still hope that a deal could come to fruition next summer.
For the time being, though, Araujo appears set to remain in Catalonia, where he has come up with eight goals and three assists in 128 games since joining from Boston River in 2018.
The 24-year-old initially plied his trade in the Barca B team upon his signing, which cost Barcelona a mere €4.7m (£4.1m), and he was officially promoted to the senior ranks in 2020.
Under Xavi's wing, Araujo has blossomed into one of Europe's most highly-rated defenders, helping La Blaugrana clinch the 2022-23 La Liga title in addition to one Copa del Rey and Supercopa de Espana.
The Uruguay international, who has played both as a right-back and centre-back for Barcelona, has come up with one goal in 15 matches for the Spanish champions in the current season and has worn the captain's armband in each of their last three La Liga contests.
Bayern are not the only side keeping close tabs on the South American, though, as Manchester United are also thought to have identified Araujo as an ideal acquisition for 2024.
The Red Devils are supposedly willing to double Araujo's salary to prise him away from Barcelona, where he is under contract until 2026, having signed his most recent extension in April 2022.
The Uruguayan defender had seemingly been earmarked as a possible successor to Raphael Varane, who will enter the final six months of his Old Trafford deal in January and has been linked with an exit after a spell on the bench.
However, Varane is now believed to be hopeful that Man United will trigger a one-year extension in his contract following a man-of-the-match display against Liverpool in Sunday's 0-0 Premier League draw. body check tags ::
