The situation involving the transfer of defender Julian Araujo to Barcelona remains mired in confusion, with the LaLiga club appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in a bid to get the player registered.
Meanwhile, LA Galaxy manager Greg Vanney told ESPN that the organization remains in discussions with the defender about possibly being loaned back, though there are multiple obstacles that stand in the way.
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The saga was thought to be over last week. On Jan. 31, the two teams agreed to a deal to transfer Araujo to Barca for $4m, and play for the reserve team.
But Barcelona filed the paperwork 18 seconds after the deadline due to what it said was a computer error. FIFA denied the Blaugrana’s subsequent appeal.
That was thought to be the end of the matter, but Barcelona remains determined to bring Araujo on board.
The club’s director of football, Mateu Alemany, said at a press conference on Thursday that the club has filed an appeal with the CAS.
“We wanted him for the second team. We want him and we’ll look for a solution, via the Court of Arbitration for Sport or he can play in another team for five months and then join us.”
In an interview with ESPN, Vanney was unequivocal in confirming that Araujo is indeed a Barcelona player.
