Ronald Araujo joined the Reds on loan from Barcelona in August and has been impressing with his defensive displays for Andoni Iraola's unbeaten side
Ronald Araujo of Liverpool during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield
Ronald Araujo could make a permanent transfer switch to Liverpool(Image: (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images))
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If Liverpool's defence of their Premier League title last season was undermined, among other things, by a lack of stability at right-back, Andoni Iraola appears to have stumbled on a temporary solution for now.
Ronald Araujo may prefer starting games at centre-back but the Uruguay international's interpretation of the full-back position has been a key factor behind the Reds' unbeaten start to the campaign under their new head coach.
New France international Jeremy Jacquet has won plenty of plaudits, including les Bleus boss Zinedine Zidane, for his form since moving to Anfield in the summer but Araujo has offered a further presence in a backline that was often blighted by problems last term, particularly on that side of the pitch.
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Prior to his serious knee injury at Arsenal in January, Conor Bradley, Jeremie Frimpong and Joe Gomez were all deployed at right-back before Dominik Szoboszlai was played there more than he would have liked.
Wataru Endo's one Premier League start last season was at right-back against Sunderland and midfielder Curtis Jones ended his Reds career in that unfamiliar role, illustrating the chronic difficulties.
In many ways, Liverpool have been made to try and replace the irreplaceable in Trent Alexander-Arnold and the long-term view is that Bradley will be given the time and space to make the position his own once he is back fit again.
The Northern Ireland international remains some way off, it is believed, but his brand of aggression and athleticism is viewed as the ideal blend at right-back given the unique Alexander-Arnold's peerless passing range cannot really be replicated.
But, for now, it is Araujo whose defence-first approach at right-back is helping a team that has now kept three successive Premier League clean sheets for the first time since the start of the title-winning campaign of 24/25, when Arne Slot's men shut out Ipswich Town, Brentford and Manchester United.
"He is a great player," club captain Virgil van Dijk said after the 1-0 win against before the international break. "I don't think he was the captain of Barcelona for no reason.
"He is a fantastic player. He is not a natural right-back but he has filled in the best way possible and I am pleased for him. It has been an intense couple of weeks for him.
"So hopefully now in this international break, he can get a little bit of rest before the chaos will start when we come back. It is down to the whole team, but obviously he did very well so far."
Araujo's arrival came with some caveats given how the second half of his Barcelona season went last time out.
He was given time off in November after a red card in a Champions League defeat to Chelsea saw him singled out for criticism online.
"A private situation," was how Barca boss Hansi Flick described it at the time after the defender had requested time off to "take care of himself emotionally".
He returned to the fold in January and captained the side in a 2-1 win at Albacete in the Copa del Rey and while Flick's style of football was one that ultimately saw the La Liga giants ready to move Araujo on, it was clear how well liked the defender was behind the scenes when he was granted his loan switch to Anfield.
"I think Ronald is a great guy and a fantastic player," Flick said in August. "I saw him this morning and I said goodbye and I think he was very happy and Liverpool is also a fantastic club.
"I wish him all the best because he deserves it. He's a fantastic guy and fantastic player and was a great captain."
One of the criticisms levelled at Liverpool in more recent times has been an absence of leaders beyond Van Dijk and Alisson Becker, a goalkeeper who leads more by example than through inspirational dialogue inside the Anfield dressing room.
The departures of Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah at the end of last season were viewed as a further drain and leadership resources inside the club and the addition of Araujo aimed to counteract that given his status as Barca skipper, his age of 27 and the experience he had as part of the Uruguay national side.
In order for him to impart his wisdom, however, Iraola has challenged the defender with improving his English to get across his messages to team-mates and colleagues who can benefit from his expertise.
Such was Araujo's determination to kick-start a career that had started to flatline at Barca that Araujo took a pay-cut to move to Anfield, which impressed those who were looking to bring him on board.
And with Liverpool's key decision-makers locked in talks over an eventual £123m deal for Bradley Barcola at the time, a short-term, cost-effective move for someone of Araujo's pedigree was deemed to be something of a no-brainer as they looked to bolster the defensive ranks.
It remains very early days but it is fair to say that Araujo is seemingly bucking the relatively recent trend of loan deals - Arthur Melo, Ozan Kabak, Aly Cissokho, Victor Moses - that have fallen flat at Anfield.
It might be some time yet before Liverpool decide that Araujo is a £47m option worth taking but the early weeks of the defender's time on Merseyside have certainly been encouraging.
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