Riqui Puig Backs Julian Araujo To Succeed At Barcelona: “Could Fit In Really Well”
In light of Julian Araujo’s move to Barcelona, former Blaugrana starlet Riqui Puig was about his ex-LA Galaxy teammate and what he would bring to the table in Catalonia.
Puig showered praise for the young defender, stating (h/t Mundo Deportivo): “Julián Araujo is a player who can give Barcelona a lot. He goes a lot into space, he has a lot of depth and, since Barcelona plays with very deep full-backs, he could fit in really well.”
Formerly of Barcelona, Puig joined LA Galaxy last summer on a free transfer. He had played with Araujo in Los Angeles for six months before the latter eventually joined Barça.
Since leaving the Catalan entity, Puig has featured in 12 competitive matches for LA Galaxy. Talking about his life in the United States, he said, “At the moment I don’t miss Barcelona. Every month my parents, my girlfriend, and my siblings come to visit me. The truth is that I’m very happy right now.”
However, the midfielder praised Barcelona and their performance this season while backing them to achieve big things under Xavi.
“I don’t miss a single Barça game. I think Barcelona are playing very well this year. The numbers say so. They have conceded seven goals in 22 league matches. It’s brutal. I think Barcelona can do very big things this year,” he said.
Barcelona are currently sitting at the top of the league table with a whopping eight-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid. They have also reached the semi-finals of the Copa Del Rey and are set to take on Los Blancos, while already having won the Spanish Super Cup.
In the meantime, though, Barça will look to focus on the upcoming UEFA Europa League knockout stage encounter against Manchester United. The two teams had drawn 2-2 in the first leg, meaning Barça must secure a win when they travel to Old Trafford on Thursday.
