The loan signing of Ronald Araujo has taken Liverpool to the limit of their non-homegrown players in the Premier League this season
New Liverpool loan signing Ronald Araujo
New Liverpool loan signing Ronald Araujo(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
View Image
The arrival of Ronald Araujo on a season-long loan from Barcelona may have solved one major problem for Liverpool.
But the signing of the 27-year-old defender has highlighted an issue of which the Reds will be extremely mindful during the remaining weeks of the transfer window.
As a Uruguay international, Araujo means Liverpool have at present now filled their quota of non-homegrown players in the Premier League for the forthcoming campaign.
Competition rules state a homegrown player is one who has been affiliated with any English or Welsh club for a period of three entire seasons or 36 months before their 21st birthday, regardless of nationality.
It explains why Jeremie Frimpong, who spent several years at Manchester City's Academy, is deemed as homegrown despite being a full Netherlands international.
Premier League clubs are allowed no more than 17 non-homegrown players, while the remainder of the squad, up to a total of 25 players, must be homegrown.
A club’s under-21 players - those who were born on or after January 1 2005 for this season - are not included on the 25-man squad lists and are eligible to play in the Premier League.
Those include first-team centre-backs Giovanni Leoni and Jeremy Jacquet along with Academy graduates Trey Nyoni, Rio Ngumoha and Lewis Koumas.
Araujo's signing means Liverpool would have to drop another non-homegrown player from their squad should, as expected, they make further forays into the transfer market overseas before the deadline.
Calvin Ramsay, who has yet to play in the Premier League for Liverpool, would seem the most likely to make way, with Federico Chiesa arguably next at risk.
Squads don't have to be confirmed until early September after the transfer window has closed, allowing clubs to complete deals before finalising their numbers.
There are differing rules in the Champions League which would mean Liverpool having fewer non-homegrown players available on what is regarded their List A in the competition.
Chiesa was initially dropped from the Reds' squad last year until being called up after Leoni suffered his season-ending knee injury in September.
As with the Premier League, Liverpool can wait until early September before determining their Champions League squad for the opening league stage.
LIVERPOOL PREMIER LEAGUE NON-HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: Alisson, Mamardashvili, Ramsay, Van Dijk, Araujo, Kerkez, Tsimikas, Endo, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Wirtz, Ekitike, Chiesa, Gakpo, Isak, Munoz.
SELECTED HOMEGROWN PLAYERS: Woodman, Jaros, Davies, Frimpong, Gomez, Bradley, Chambers, Jones, McConnell, Bajcetic, Elliott.
SELECTED UNDER-22s: Leoni, Jacquet, Ndiaye, Morrison, Nyoni, Danns, Ngumoha, Wright, Koumas, Abe.