Barcelona president Joan Laporta has suggested that the club are not close to reaching agreements with Gavi and Ronald Araujo over new deals at Camp Nou.

Both players have been heavily involved for the Catalan giants this season, with Gavi featuring on 32 occasions in all competitions, and Araujo making 30 appearances during the 2021-22 campaign.

The duo will see their contracts expire in June 2023, though, and there has been a host of transfer speculation surrounding the two players over the last few months.

Laporta has said that he is 'hopeful' of soon reaching an agreement with the pair, but the 59-year-old has insisted that Barcelona will always "come first" in contract talks.

"The player has a lot to say in all these renewals," Laporta told Barcelona's official media. "We have put standards back into the Barcelona first team. That's why I'm very grateful to the players we've been renewing. If a player wants to stay at Barcelona, he will stay.

"I hope that it will be the same for Gavi and Araujo as it is for Ansu Fati, Pedri or Nico [Gonzalez]. I hope to reach an agreement with them, but Barcelona come first."

Manchester United and Liverpool are both believed to be interested in Araujo, while Real Madrid and Chelsea are among the clubs to be linked with Gavi's services. body check tags ::