Liverpool is set to complete the signing of Ronald Araujo on loan from Barcelona, but there is still plenty of work for the Reds to do before the transfer window shuts
Ronald Araujo is set to join Liverpool
Ronald Araujo is set to join Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
Ronald Araujo is on his way to Liverpool in a transfer that has taken everyone by surprise.
With the Reds having been prioritizing a new winger as efforts to sign Bradley Barcola seemingly grew and Ibrahim Mbaye emerged as another option, any plans to bolster the defense appeared to have been placed on the back burner.
That did appear to be a risky strategy, with Andoni Iraola’s side already facing something of an injury crisis at the back after a less-than-ideal start to preseason, which had already ruled out one of his center-back options, with two more in a race against time.
And the situation at right-back isn't much better. Conor Bradley is still a long way away from a return, and Jeremie Frimpong has yet to convince some that he is the right man for the job — not to mention he’s had his own injury issues over the past 12 months, including a recent scare in the United States.
In Araujo though, Liverpool looks to be effectively killing two birds with one stone. The 27-year-old will undergo his medical later on Sunday as he completes his loan move from Barcelona, and in the process ease some of the concerns with just two weeks to go until the new season gets underway.
That’s not to say that Araujo’s signing is the right answer for the Reds. The jury is definitely out on a player who has only made more than 25 league appearances once in the last six years at Barca, but it is a gamble that Liverpool probably needed to take.
Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes and Andoni Iraola have plenty more work to do
Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes and Andoni Iraola have plenty more work to do(Image: (Photo by Robin Jones/Getty Images))
The job is far from done for sporting director Richard Hughes though. There is still a lot of work that needs to be done on a squad that, let’s not forget, barely scraped into the Premier League’s top five last season, and has since lost three players who would have a real claim to be in the starting lineup.
It’s obvious where the next signing has to be. Liverpool still doesn’t have a replacement for Mohamed Salah, and it can’t rely on Rio Ngumoha being a revelation on the right wing, no matter how good he is. As previously mentioned, Barcola and Mbaye are the names being hotly linked right now. The latter is more of a natural option on the right, but the former is a guarantee of quality.
Signing both will not be easy, but it should be the target. Mbaye would of course become an option on the right, while Barcola would give the freedom to move Ngumoha across if that is seen as his future.
The Reds can’t stop there. Although the attack may well look a lot healthier with Barcola and Mbaye added to it, there is still a major question mark over a midfield that left the back four far too exposed last season.
A more natural deeper-lying midfielder is the answer, and is a transfer that has been needed for some time — remember Martin Zubimendi in 2024? Although Ryan Gravenberch proved to be a revelation in the subsequent title-winning campaign, the past year has shown he has limitations as a No. 6, and he probably needs that defensive-minded option more than most in order to free himself up.
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And that’s not all. Yes, Araujo is arriving, and yes, he can cover two positions at the back, but that shouldn’t be considered job done in the defense.
Araujo’s signing does indicate that Jeremy Jacquet is seen as the long-term answer at center-back, but he also faces going into the new season with, at best, maybe 45 minutes against Como under his belt. Add to that Joe Gomez is injured yet again, and Giovanni Leoni is coming back from an ACL, and even with five center-backs to pick from, it’s not a setup that fills you with confidence.
Another defender will likely be bottom of the shopping list now, but if the opportunity is there to sign another, Liverpool has to take it.