Sports Mole takes a look at three high-profile players who could make a summer switch from La Liga to the Premier League.
The Premier League is widely regarded as the strongest league in world football, boasting many of the best players and managers the beautiful game has to offer.
In financial terms, English clubs currently have a continental stranglehold over their European rivals and have managed to win the race for the signatures of some of the top talents from across the globe.
A plethora of players, ranging from teenage sensations to worldwide superstars, continue to be linked with a move to the Premier League this summer, including some from the top tier of Spanish football.
Here, Sports Mole takes a look at three high-profile players who could make a summer switch from La Liga to the English top flight.
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Ronald Araujo has established himself as a key first-team figure at Barcelona in recent years, but speculation over the 25-year-old’s long-term future at Camp Nou is rife.
Indeed, Spanish news outlet Sport claims that the Catalan giants must generate funds from player sales this summer to comply with La Liga’s 1:1 spending rule and Financial Fair Play regulations, and Araujo is one name who could be sacrificed as a result.
There have been conflicting reports over Manchester United‘s interest in Araujo, with one of the latest claiming that their fascination of the centre-back has cooled having now shifted their focus to Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite and Bayern Munich’s Matthijs de Ligt.
The possibility of the Red Devils performing a U-turn on their stance on Araujo cannot be ruled out this summer, though, while other Premier League clubs have also been linked with the Uruguayan including Manchester City and Newcastle United.
Araujo, who has made a total of 150 appearances for Barcelona in all competitions since and including his debut in 2019, has two years remaining on his contract and is valued in the region of €75m (£63.5m).
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The same report from Sport claims that Barcelona could also look to offload Raphinha this summer in a bid to balance their books, just two years after signing the winger for around £55m from Leeds United.
Raphinha contributed with 10 goals and 13 assists in 37 games for Barca last season and is believed to be content at Camp Nou, where he is under contract until June 2027.
However, new head coach Hansi Flick allegedly deems the Brazil international surplus to requirements, which has alerted a number of clubs in the Premier League and Saudi Arabia.
Arsenal are understood to have failed with a £34m bid for Raphinha, but they remain interested in the winger along with London rivals Chelsea and Newcastle, while a big-name Saudi Pro League club are allegedly prepared to fork out €100m (£85.2m) for the 27-year-old.
It is thought that Raphinha would favour a proposed transfer to either Chelsea or Arsenal as both clubs will be competing in European competition next season.
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Although Artem Dovbyk was unable to fire Ukraine out of the group stage at Euro 2024, he remains one of the most sought-after strikers this summer following a prolific 2023-24 campaign with Girona.
The 27-year-old joined Giona from Dnipro-1 for just €7m last summer and went on to win the La Liga Golden Boot after scoring an impressive 24 goals in 36 league appearances in his debut campaign in Spain.
Dovbyk’s goalscoring exploits helped Girona qualify for next season’s Champions League for the first time in their history and although the White and Reds are keen to keep hold of their leading marksman, a potential summer exit has been mooted.
Girona are one of many sister clubs of Premier League champions Manchester City, who are said to be ‘huge admirers’ of Dovbyk amid uncertainty over the long-term future of Erling Haaland.
Chelsea, Arsenal, AC Milan and Atletico Madrid have also been credited with an interest in the striker, who has a €40m (£33.9m) release clause in his contract that expires in June 2028.