Ronald Araujo has had an impressive start to life at Liverpool but loan signings have rarely prospered when moving to Anfield
Ronald Araujo of Liverpool
Ronald Araujo of Liverpool(Image: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
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Spooky season may just be around the corner. But Liverpool supporters have long known about the curse of the loan player.
The list of those who have made an ultimately successful temporary move to Anfield over the years is, well, somewhat short.
In fact, beyond Nicolas Anelka's impressive stint during the second half of the 2001/02 season, it's difficult make a solid case for any of the other such transfers to be deemed more than average at best beyond Javier Mascherano, whose loan arrival in 2007 was always a precursor to a full transfer.
And even then, that Reds boss Gerard Houllier eventually declined the opportunity to make Anelka's stay a permanent one and instead brought in the disastrous El Hadji Diouf perhaps underlines the point. Loans and Liverpool have really not mixed.
Hence the relative lack of enthusiasm among supporters when Ronald Araujo became only the 17th player to make a temporary move to Anfield with the Reds having an option to make the transfer from Barcelona permanent next summer for £47million.
Given fans had wanted either a new centre-back or a new right-back, that a single loan player was brought in to provide cover for both positions was used a stick with which to further beat Fenway Sports Group.
Araujo, though, was happy for a change of scenery after a tough most recent of eight years at Barcelona that prompted him to take a mental health break midway through last season.
And the Uruguay international has wasted no time in winning over the doubters.
While initially slotting in at centre-back with cameos from the bench as Jeremy Jacquet got up to speed with English football, it's since moving to a starting right-back that Araujo has truly began to show his worth to this evolving Liverpool team under Andoni Iraola.
In the 285 minutes he has been on the field in the Premier League, the Reds are yet to concede a goal. And he claimed an assist in the Champions League with an outrageous backheel to create Dominik Szoboszlai's equaliser in the win against Atletico Madrid.
Of course, Araujo is not expected to maintain that level, not least in terms of creativity down the right flank. He is, unlike Jeremie Frimpong and the injured Conor Bradley, a defender first and foremost. Any attacking threat should be considered a bonus.
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That's shown by the numbers. On his first Premier League star at Ipswich Town, he won the most duels and most aerial duels. And in the weekend win at Bournemouth, again no player won more duels while he lost only two of 11 ground and aerial duels combined.
Araujo is also making himself popular among supporters beyond his performances.
When Szoboszlai slapped home Liverpool's third in their Carabao Cup win over Tottenham Hotspur last week, Araujo could be spotted in the background running towards the bench before producing a knee slide in celebration.
And earlier in that game, there was also an example of how Araujo is using his experience to help cajole some of his younger defensive team-mates, not least Jacquet who was given applause and encouragement after one good piece of covering.
That Araujo already feels at home at Liverpool is undisputed, given his comments after the win over Atletico. That, though, is no guarantee the Reds will happily hand over the best part of £50m for a player who turns 28 in March, a deal that would be very much not in keeping with the FSG transfer model.
Then there's fact Liverpool have only twice before signed a player permanently after a loan spell at the club. Araujo, though, has already shown a habit of defying conventions at Anfield.