Liverpool looks very light in terms of defensive options at the moment, but that isn't the full story, and a transfer move for Ronald Araujo can help to bridge the gap
Ronald Araujo in Champions League action for Barcelona
Ronald Araujo in Champions League action for Barcelona(Image: Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
In the short-term, a transfer move for Ronald Araujo makes perfect sense for Liverpool. Andoni Iraola is light of numbers at the back and it would have been a huge gamble not to bring someone else in.
Araujo is experienced and he can play in a couple of different defensive positions, making him a perfect addition on a temporary basis. There are questions about his consistency and his injury history, but adding another body was vital.
Beyond this season, though, Liverpool looks to be in a good place when it comes to its center-backs. Yes, Virgil van Dijk's contract is a question that is likely to be posed throughout the season, and Joe Gomez has already been struck down with a muscle issue, but in the bigger picture, things look promising.
In Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni, Liverpool believes that it has signed two of the very best young center-backs around. Costing a combined sum of around $128 million (£95 million), they are a huge part of the future.
But they are not the only ones: Ifeanyi Ndukwe, as his performances this summer have proven, is another with a very high ceiling. Getting 45 minutes against Monaco, he didn't look out of place alongside Van Dijk.
Ndukwe was signed for just $3.5 million (£2.6 million) in January, and while he can't play competitively until 2027 because of a work permit issue, which means he will head out on loan, he too is very highly rated.
Ifeanyi Ndukwe has impressed during preseason
Ifeanyi Ndukwe has impressed during preseason(Image: Lewis Storey - Danehouse/Getty Images)
"Obviously I saw the games in pre-season in America," Van Dijk told reporters at Anfield when asked about Ndukwe.
"Big talent, big guy and he wants to learn and I had a brief conversation with him, especially in the last couple of days. For him, it is just progressing. I know he has to go on loan I think so let’s see where he ends up."
It is thought that clubs in the Bundesliga are eyeing the 18-year-old and that would appear to be a good move. In Germany, Ndukwe would be playing in a competitive league and in front of big crowds.
If he can gather that experience, in addition to the points required for the paperwork, he could come back in an even stronger position.
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While Van Dijk and Gomez's contracts will expire next summer as things stand, Jacquet, Leoni and Ndukwe are all very young, and Mor Talla Ndiaye, who came in from Senegal in January, is another to keep an eye on.
Adding Araujo to the mix this season means that Liverpool is not leaving itself short. He isn't perfect — if he was, then Barcelona wouldn't be letting him leave on loan — but he is another option, still with plenty of potential.
If Araujo proves to be a revelation, then Liverpool can move to sign him permanently, and that should not be ruled out. If not, and he proves to be a stopgap, then Jacquet, Leoni and Ndukwe, in particular, should be ready to step up even further in another 12 months.