18 seconds late
This article first appeared on Jan. 31 and has been updated with new information.
With just hours to go on deadline day in Spain, Barcelona were pushing to sign Mexican-American right-back Julián Araujo from Major League Soccer side Los Angeles Galaxy. First reported by MLSSoccer.com writer Tom Bogert, Barcelona made an initial loan on Monday that was rejected. Still, talks were ongoing all day Tuesday and a settlement for a €4m transfer was reached. Barcelona, however, failed to register the player on time, and FIFA ruled on Friday that Araujo will have to stay with the Galaxy.
“We didn’t arrive on time due to a computer error—the delay was 18 seconds,” Barca director of professional football Mateu Alemany said in a statement. Araujo did train on his own on Thursday as the Galaxy tried to protect their asset. Transfermarkt understands that until the final moments there was optimism that this deal would go through.
This is not really how it works.
MLS approves of transfers prior to the deal being drafted or signed. If MLS approval occurred 20 seconds after the deadline, that means the contract hadn’t yet been drafted or signed, so there’s no it would have gone through. https://t.co/QMECiLMCag
— Andrew Visnovsky (@AndrewVisnovsky) February 3, 2023
“FIFA can confirm that the transfer of the player Julian Araujo from LA Galaxy to FC Barcelona was not completed in line with the applicable regulations,” a statement issued by the World football government body read (cited by ESPN reporter Jeff Carlisle). Whether Barcelona will pursue the LA Galaxy talent in the summer remains to be seen. Mexico legend Rafa Marquez, who coaches the reserve side, is a big fan of the player but in Sergiño Dest (currently on loan at Milan) another right-back is set to return from the club.
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Either way, the market for Araujo should remain strong this summer. Developed by the Galaxy, Araujo first broke into the first team in 2019 and has since made 109 appearances for the Galaxy across all competitions (two goals and 14 assists). In that time, Araujo has seen his market value grow to €6m, making him the most valuable right-back in Major League Soccer. In fact, at the Galaxy, only Spanish midfielder Riqui Puig (€7m) has a bigger market value than Araujo.
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