February 5,2023 Ronald Araujo (4) of FC Barcelona before the match between FC Barcelona and Sevilla FC corresponding to the twenty day of La Liga Santander at Spotify Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain. Credit: rosdemora/Alamy Live News
February 5,2023 Ronald Araujo (4) of FC Barcelona before the match between FC Barcelona and Sevilla FC corresponding to the twenty day of La Liga Santander at Spotify Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain. Credit: rosdemora/Alamy Live News
Liverpool have agreed a deal to sign Barcelona centre-back Ronald Araujo on a season-long loan, with the shock move soothing Andoni Iraola‘s injury crisis.
Araujo is set to undergo a medical before completing a temporary move to Anfield, as Liverpool address a shortage of bodies in defence.
The deal was first reported by Fabrizio Romano on X, with AS journalist Sergi de Juan adding that an option to buy was also negotiated.
Just over two weeks before the season begins away to Newcastle and Iraola is without Jeremy Jacquet, Giovanni Leoni and Joe Gomez due to injury, with Conor Bradley also absent from his right-back options.
A natural centre-back, Araujo is also capable of playing at right-back, with his arrival on Merseyside providing much-needed depth.
Standing at 6’3″ and still only 27, the Uruguayan made 38 appearances for Barcelona last season, in what was his seventh campaign in their first team.
Overall, Araujo has played 213 times for Barcelona‘s senior side, with his previous experience coming with Rentistas and Boston River in his native country.
He took up a role within Barcelona‘s captaincy group in 2023 and was promoted to club captain in January after Marc-Andre ter Stegen initial loan to Ajax.
But the bulky, ball-playing defender will now aim to break into Iraola’s regular rotation at Liverpool, and could come into immediate starting contention alongside Virgil van Dijk.
Ifeanyi Ndukwe, the 18-year-old signed from Austria Vienna this summer, has impressed so far in pre-season but will not be eligible to play in competitive fixtures having failed to secure a UK work permit.
With Ndukwe therefore heading out on loan himself, Araujo will provide an experienced alternative within the core group of centre-backs.
Barcelona's Ronald Araujo celebrates scoring his side's 3rd goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Real Sociedad at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Barcelona's Ronald Araujo celebrates scoring his side's 3rd goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Real Sociedad at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
He will be the first player Liverpool have signed on loan since Brazilian midfielder Arthur Melo joined from Juventus in 2022.
Arthur went on to make only one first-team appearance for the Reds, however, with his own injuries adding to the major absence he was brought in to address.
The hope is that Araujo’s time at Liverpool will be significantly more productive and he can perhaps earn a long-term future at the club given the option-to-buy clause present in his deal.
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