Barcelona captain Araujo joins Liverpool on loan with buy option

Published Aug 9, 04:18 AM UTC

Barcelona captain Ronald Araujo has joined Liverpool on a season-long loan with a buy option, according to The Athletic. Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick informed Araujo he would not be a key player this season, and the club's need to comply with La Liga's salary cap made his departure financially prudent. Liverpool will cover Araujo's full salary. The 27-year-old Uruguayan center-back, who has won three La Liga titles and two Copa del Rey titles with Barcelona, took a break last season due to anxiety and received death threats after a red card against Chelsea. Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola gains defensive depth, but the club still needs to address right-back and forward positions, including finding a replacement for Mohamed Salah. The deal is seen as low-risk, high-reward for Liverpool, though questions remain about Araujo's consistency and injury history.