Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola is about to have his locker room strengthened with the arrival of Ronald Araujo, who is closing in on a loan move from Barcelona.
Liverpool FC Head Coach Andoni Iraola concentrates after the pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Leeds United
Andoni Iraola helped get a deal for Ronald Araujo over the line with his gesture(Image: (Photo by Michael Miller/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images))
As links continue to persist over Liverpool's move for a winger, the club moved quickly to reinforce the defence with the arrival of Ronald Araujo from Barcelona.
With the Reds struggling for depth in the backline, a move for the versatile defender came about quite quickly and with no rumors surrounding it until the deal was seemingly sealed.
The 27-year-old fell out of favor under Hansi Flick, and after a meeting with the Barcelona boss, it became clear that he wouldn't be the key star in the team that he once was.
That opened the door to Liverpool, who was in the market for a low-cost option to improve the team's quality in depth, with Araujo offering exactly that.
The Merseyside outfit has sealed a season-long loan, along with an option to make the deal permanent next summer, should he impress over the next season.
Considering how small the pool of potential arrivals could have been for Liverpool, it comes as quite the coup, and it's one that Andoni Iraola played his part in sealing.
Spanish outlet Sport has outlined exactly how the scenario with Araujo played out this summer, which has all led to his transfer to Liverpool.
It's claimed that the Reds first made contact for the defender last Wednesday, before a move accelerated quickly over the following week.
The following Wednesday, the report claims that Iraola spoke directly to Araujo to convince him that Liverpool was the right place to be, explaining his part in the team and where he envisions the star playing.
Ronald Araujo #4 of Uruguay inspects the pitch before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H match between Saudi Arabia and Uruguay
Ronald Araujo #4 of Uruguay inspects the pitch before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H match between Saudi Arabia and Uruguay(Image: Getty)
It's added that discussions included the forming of a partnership with Virgil van Dijk, which could see the duo feature as a centre-back pairing.
However, Araujo could also end up playing as a right-back through the next season, having shown his versatility to feature there in the past, which has been a particular problem area for the Reds over the past year.
It's not the first time that Iraola has called players ahead of a potential switch, after Victor Munoz revealed his discussion with the manager upon making the move to Anfield.
Similarly, the Liverpool boss is claimed to have spoken with Yan Diomande to convince him that a move to Merseyside would be beneficial, though that one ultimately didn't work out.
It shows that, despite his preference to coach, Iraola is still helping out with the recruitment to get full buy-in from players before they step through the doors at the AXA Training Centre.