Liverpool have confirmed the signing of Barcelona captain Ronald Araujo on a season-long loan with an option to buy.
The 27-year-old defender flew to Merseyside on Sunday afternoon and has since completed his medical. The Reds have the option to purchase the Uruguay international at the end of the campaign for £47million.
"I can't wait to get started. I'm very, very happy," Araujo said. "I'm excited to be here at this massive club with lots of history. I'm excited to meet my teammates, excited to get started playing, and I'm very motivated and really up for getting going."
"I think it was the ideal move for me at this stage in my career. I think it was a move that was necessary for me to take. As soon as I heard that interest from Liverpool, everything went into action really, really quickly."
Learning from Van Dijk
Araujo said he will take inspiration from "role model" Virgil van Dijk when he lines up alongside the Liverpool captain. "We all know what a great player Virgil is. He's a real reference point for the team and he's a kind of role model and reference for me personally as well," he told the club's website.
"I am excited to have that opportunity and enjoy learning from him, playing alongside him. With hard work, I think we can achieve good things together as a partnership and as a defence."
Filling a defensive gap
Defence was an area that needed strengthening following the departure of Ibrahima Konate at the end of his contract and ongoing injury issues at right-back. Liverpool believe Araujo's experience is important, and he was named Barcelona captain in January.
He is up to speed having taken part in Barcelona's pre-season preparations, and he is expected to join squad training later this week. Araujo arrives having won three league titles with Barcelona, as well as two Copas del Rey, and wants to keep winning at Anfield after Liverpool finished trophyless as the 2025 Premier League champions, a season that cost head coach Arne Slot his job 12 months after lifting the title.
"Without a shadow of a doubt, the aim is to win trophies, win things. Liverpool is a team that is competing on all levels for all trophies, so we need to be battling it out on all fronts," Araujo added. He has already received goodwill messages from two other Uruguayans who played for the club, Luis Suarez and Darwin Nunez.
"You aim high at a club like this. That's what we'll all be doing. As well as aiming high, I'll be giving everything that I can out there on the pitch to try to make that happen."
Iraola's defensive options
Araujo's arrival gives head coach Andoni Iraola greater depth in defence than his predecessor, with new arrival Jeremy Jacquet expected to return to training after a knee injury and Giovanni Leoni entering the final stages of his rehabilitation from an ACL injury.
Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Ndiaye, both 18, have impressed in pre-season, but with Joe Gomez not fit for the start of the new campaign, Iraola needed another senior defender. For much of last season, Liverpool had to play Van Dijk and Konate in virtually every game.
More signings expected
Liverpool are continuing to look for more signings, with the attack in need of reinforcement, and Araujo's fee-free arrival will not affect those plans. They have an interest in Paris St Germain's Bradley Barcola but will not pay over the odds, in keeping with their self-sustaining model of seeking value in the market.
