Ronald Araujo barcelona 2022
Liverpool are reportedly prepared to table a formal proposal to sign Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo, as per Spanish outlet Fichajes.
The Reds have struggled with their defensive frailties during this pre-season, conceding nine goals in five matches. Moreover, they leaked two against Crystal Palace in the Community Shield, meaning clean sheets have been hard to come by before Friday’s opening Premier League game against AFC Bournemouth.
Following Jarell Quansah’s departure to Bayer Leverkusen, Ibrahima Konate and Virgil Van Dijk are the two centre-back options the Merseysiders currently have. Joe Gomez is another option, but he has continued to struggle with fitness problems.
Konate has entered the final year of his current contract, and the Reds haven’t been able to agree on a fresh term with him. Real Madrid are reportedly lurking to sign the Frenchman. On the other hand, Van Dijk will turn 35 next summer.
Now, Fichajes state that following the Community Shield defeat, Liverpool have realised that they need to reinforce the defence to challenge on all fronts next campaign.
Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi is the priority target, but Liverpool have lined up Araujo as a potential alternative option in case they fail to buy the Englishman.
Araujo to Liverpool
Liverpool are ready to launch a £52m bid to secure the Uruguayan’s service, and the Anfield club believe the figure would be enough to tempt Barcelona to cash-in on him as they have found themselves in financial difficulties.
However, following Inigo Martínez’s departure to Saudi Arabia, Barcelona have found themselves thin in numbers in the centre-back position, and Araujo has recently been made the captain.
Therefore, if they let the South American leave, Barcelona will have to go for a new centre-back, and with the new season less than a week away, Hansi Flick wouldn’t want to be in that scenario.
Nevertheless, Araujo, standing at 6ft 3in tall, has the physicality to flourish in the Premier League. He is quick, strong, good in the air, and is a robust player. But he has had fitness problems in recent years and has the tendency to make rash decisions at times.
Therefore, Liverpool would be better off exploring other options to strengthen the defensive department. Nevertheless, it is going to be interesting to see whether Slot’s side eventually make a concrete approach to secure his service this summer.