Former Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren has urged his old club to trigger the £47 million release clause for on-loan Ronald Araujo, arguing the Uruguay international's value is likely to increase in the coming years.
Araujo has impressed since arriving from Barcelona in the summer, featuring in all but one of Liverpool's 16 games this season, with 13 appearances as a starter. The 27-year-old has become first-choice at right-back while scoring two goals and providing an assist in the Champions League this season. As part of the loan deal, Liverpool hold an option to sign the defender permanently for £47m at the end of the campaign.
Lovren backs permanent move
Speaking to Tribal Football, Lovren said: "£47m? Why not? In the near future, he will probably cost £80m, so why not take him at this price and make him an even bigger and better player along the way? He's at a perfect age. He has a good five to six years at the top football level to play. So why not?"
Lovren, who made the same move from France to England in 2013 when switching from Lyon to Southampton before joining Liverpool the following year, also highlighted the need for defensive reinforcements. "Everyone wants Virgil van Dijk to play until he's 41 like Luka Modric, but not everyone is like Luka Modric. So the time will also come for Van Dijk to leave Liverpool and you need options, you need replacements. You need to look at least five years ahead," he added.
Premier League suitability
Lovren believes the Premier League suits Araujo's style of play. "I believe the Premier League suits Ronald Araujo more than the Spanish league. Because he is a physically dominant guy, it suits him perfectly. I believe he will only improve and, I don't know, maybe in the future he can agree to stay permanently. In the Premier League, Liverpool won't be his only option, but Liverpool are smart enough to consider their options, he's quite young at 27. So why not keep him if he's doing so well?"
Lovren also praised the adaptation of Jeremy Jacquet to the Premier League, having come from the French Ligue Un. "I have honestly been surprised by Jeremy Jacquet. He was in the French league and usually you need some time to adapt from this league to another league, but he has really surprised me in a good way. I see him also as long-term option at Liverpool. They knew in the beginning that they found a replacement for Ibrahima Konate, and he's also so young, so he will continue to learn. He will learn from the very best next to Van Dijk. So it's a win-win situation for me and exciting for the future."
