Ronald Araujo won't get much time to train with Liverpool before the 2026/27 season, but the defender already looks to be in good shape based on Barcelona's preseason videos
SANT JOAN DESPI, SPAIN - MARCH 02: Ronald Araujo during the training day of FC Barcelona ahead the Spanish Cup, Copa del Rey football match against Atletico de Madrid at Ciudad Esportiva Joan Gamper on March 02, 2026 in Sant Joan Despi, Barcelona, Spain. (Photo By Javier Borrego/Europa Press via Getty Images)
Ronald Araujo has already impressed in pre-season with Barcelona(Image: Getty Images)
Ronald Araujo will be arriving at Liverpool soon, but Andoni Iraola will like what he’s seen already from the defender during preseason at Barcelona.
Araujo is due to arrive on Merseyside on Sunday as he undergoes a medical before completing his loan move to the Reds. The Reds will cover the full cost of his wages while he is away from his parent club, although there is also the opportunity for Liverpool to make the move permanent.
There is the option to buy Araujo, should Iraola and the Reds wish to do so next summer, with reports claiming the fee would be in the region of $64 million (€55M).
The Uruguay international will not have long to get to know his new teammates before the 2026/27 Premier League season gets underway, with Liverpool gearing up for its opening game at Newcastle on August 23.
With Araujo arriving for his medical on Sunday, he will not be available for the friendly against Monaco, meaning he will have to make do with just the one run-out against Como the following week before the real business starts at St. James’ Park.
It’s not the ideal build-up to a new season, but Araujo does at least have some time on the training pitch this summer - and from what we’ve seen from one of his sessions at Barcelona, he will arrive at Liverpool in peak condition.
Having been knocked out of the World Cup during the group stages with Uruguay, Araujo will have arrived back at his parent club earlier than expected, and he has clearly been working hard since then.
The Catalan club released a video from training last month showing Araujo and other players involved in a running drill, and as you can see from the clip, the 27-year-old well and truly outpaced his teammates.
That’s no mean feat for a center-back, and although he might not be expected to make so many gut-busting runs with the Reds, Iraola will no doubt appreciate the condition Araujo appears to be in ahead of his arrival.
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There’s every chance the defender will be thrown into the thick of the action once he’s up to speed at Liverpool, with the Reds already in something of an injury crisis at the back before the start of the season.
Joe Gomez has already been ruled out of the opener against Newcastle after lasting just 10 minutes of the first preseason friendly against Sunderland, while Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni are yet to make an appearance this summer, with the former still struggling after his shoulder injury, while the latter is recovering from his ACL injury.
Araujo’s ability to play at right-back will also come in handy, with Liverpool set to be without Conor Bradley for at least another few months as he works his way back from a serious knee injury picked up back in January.