Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has confirmed that Ronald Araujo is set to complete a loan move to Liverpool. The defender has arrived in England to undergo a medical and finalise the switch, which includes an option to make the transfer permanent.
Defensive crisis prompts move
Liverpool have been forced into the market after injuries decimated their defensive options. Virgil van Dijk is currently the only fully fit centre-back, with Jeremy Jacquet, Joe Gomez, and Giovanni Leoni all sidelined.
According to The Mirror, Araujo touched down on Merseyside on Sunday to complete the formalities of the proposed deal.
Araujo's Barcelona career
The 27-year-old has spent eight years at Barcelona, making 213 appearances and scoring 14 goals. He was handed the captaincy in January following Marc-Andre ter Stegen's loan departure.
However, he managed just 16 starts last season and took a step back from football for mental health reasons after facing criticism following a red card in the Champions League defeat to Chelsea in November.
Araujo returned in January and helped Barcelona clinch the La Liga title in May with a 2-0 win over Real Madrid at the Camp Nou.
Flick's farewell
Despite his success, Flick is willing to let his captain leave. Speaking after friendlies against Nottingham Forest and Udinese on Saturday, he said: "I think Ronald is a great guy and a fantastic player."
"I think our style of play, that we want to play, is a little bit different. He's a player that has a lot of speed, he's physical and very strong and also with the ball he's quite good."
"We couldn't include him like I wanted and also I think he wants to make something new. You know it more than me because in the past, something has happened, so this affected him."
"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."
Deal details
The season-long loan includes a £47m option for Liverpool to purchase Araujo at the end of the 2026/27 campaign.
Liverpool are preparing for their Premier League opener against Newcastle later this month, with Gomez facing weeks out with a muscle injury, Jacquet recovering from shoulder surgery, and Leoni out with an ACL injury. At right-back, Conor Bradley has been sidelined since January with a knee injury, while Jeremie Frimpong has had fitness issues since joining from Bayer Leverkusen.
