New Liverpool signing Ronald Araujo has sparked some teasing between Darwin Nunez and Alexis Mac Allister with his introduction message at Anfield.
Alexis Mac Allister and Darwin Nunez of Liverpool acknowledge the fans after the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Everton FC
Alexis Mac Allister poked fun at Darwin Nunez after Ronald Araujo's arrival at Liverpool(Image: (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images))
Liverpool fan favorites Alexis Mac Allister and Darwin Nunez poked fun at one another after Ronald Araujo was announced as a new signing for the Reds.
The Uruguayan international joined from Barcelona on a season-long loan with the option to join permanently at the end of the season. There is hope that the 27-year-old will be able to address some areas of concern for Liverpool, as he is capable of playing at both centre-back and right-back, two positions that have been heavily impacted by injury in the past year.
The move for Araujo came out of the blue, with Andoni Iraola pushing to land the defender once it became clear that he wanted to leave Barcelona following a meeting with the manager.
It didn't take long for the Barcelona captain to be convinced to make the move, with the new head coach's plans helping to get him on board for the new season.
So too did Darwin Nunez, the former Liverpool striker who never quite hit the heights at Anfield, but did seem to have quite the affection for the club.
Nunez sent a heartwarming message to Araujo upon moving to Merseyside, with the pair of good friends now both being able to say they represented such a huge team.
In the defender's first post introducing himself to Liverpool fans on Instagram, Mac Allister played on that friendship with a sneaky message used to poke fun at the former striker.
New Liverpool signing Ronald Araujo
New Liverpool signing Ronald Araujo(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
The midfielder welcomed Araujo and said: "Welcome! Finally, someone who can make decent mate tea has appeared."
Nunez responded: "Got it, I'll make a note of that. I'm the one who taught you how to brew mate tea and make barbecue," to which Mac Allister simply said: "Don't get mad."
It was an amusing interaction between the pair, showing the friendship that is still there between them, even one year on from Nunez's eventual exit.
With Araujo's future now sorted, it's his compatriot who is now left considering his own future in the transfer market, with uncertainty still surrounding a move this summer.
Nunez only signed for Al-Hilal last summer, but he was unregistered from the Saudi Pro League roster when Karim Benzema arrived in the winter transfer window, putting his future in doubt.
That has led to reports that his contract could be ripped up, which may allow for a free transfer elsewhere, and a potential new club for Nunez as well as his good friend Araujo.