Liverpool have announced their deal to sign Ronald Araujo from Barcelona on a season-long loan, says Fabrizio Romano.
The Uruguayan was revealed last week by Romano to be an imminent surprise signing for the Reds, with Liverpool in need of defensive depth after Ibrahima Konate left the club to join Real Madrid on a free transfer on 1 July.
The Frenchman’s departure was a major blow after contract talks proved unsuccessful, given that Liverpool had signed Jeremy Jacquet to be the late replacement for Jarell Quansah, who joined Bayer Leverkusen for £35m last summer.
Araujo was in England on Sunday after flying in from Spain to complete a medical with the Reds. His agents were subsequently spotted at Anfield with sporting director Richard Hughes, confirming the rumours and reports of an imminent move to Liverpool.
Ronald Araujo deal is complete
After signing for the Reds, Araujo told the club’s official website: “I can’t wait to get started. I’m very, very happy.
“I’m excited to be here at this massive club with lots of history. I’m excited to meet my teammates, excited to get started playing, and I’m very motivated and really up for getting going.
“I think it was the ideal move for me at this stage in my career. I think it was a move that was necessary for me to take. As soon as I heard that interest from Liverpool, everything went into action really, really quickly.
“As I say, I’m super-happy to be here and excited to get started. I’m glad about the interest and it was the right move at the right time.”
First words as Ronald Araujo joins the Reds ?
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 10, 2026
Is Araujo the right signing for Liverpool?
A debate has been raging online ever since Liverpool were first linked to Araujo by Romano: is Araujo the player they should be signing in defence this season?
The defensive fragility under Arne Slot last season received an incredible level of coverage, with Konate’s exit this summer increasing pressure on the Reds to improve this season.
Reports that assistant coach Tommy Elphick had been filling in for missing defenders on the club’s pre-season tour of the USA annoyed supporters, so the news that Araujo will be joining Liverpool – even just for a season – has been met with a great range of reactions.
On one hand, most Liverpool fans are happy that there will be an increased number of defenders available to Andoni Iraola this summer, while others believe that Araujo isn’t good enough to represent the club.
Jamie Carragher is in this camp, saying: “I would rather have a permanent solution that fits into the system in the long term. Let’s watch him play first, but I’m not getting excited yet.”
I’m of the opinion that Araujo will do for a season, but he should not be made a permanent signing unless he reaches truly elite levels, which seems unlikely. His injury history is a massive concern, with 15 separate injuries since the start of the 21/22 season.