A move that came completely out of nowhere on Friday night has now been made official. On Monday, Liverpool officially confirmed the signing of Ronald Araújo. The Uruguayan defender has joined on a season-long loan deal from Barcelona, with the option to make the move permanent for €55 million next summer. It would be a major surprise if that was activated.
Upon making the move to Merseyside, this is what the 27 year old had to say:
"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’m super-happy to be here and excited to get started. I’m glad about the interest and it was the right move at the right time."
Araújo provides much-needed defensive reinforcement for Andoni Iraola's squad. Ahead of their Premier League opener against Newcastle United at St James' Park in less than a fortnight, the new head coach is far from awash with defenders from which to choose.
Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni are sidelined long-term, Joe Gomez picked up an injury against Sunderland in Nashville, while new signing Jérémy Jacquet is yet to feature in pre-season, being slowly eased in, following a shoulder injury sustained in February, one that required surgery. Thus, it would not be a surprise if the new Uruguayan was thrown straight in for his debut on Tyneside.
Araújo though himself may need time to get up to speed. He did not play a single minute of Uruguay's disastrous three-match World Cup campaign during the summer. The defender also had not featured for Barcelona during pre-season prior to the move, coming closest when Hansi Flick's side drew 2-2 with Birmingham City at St Andrew's, an unused substitute in the second city. Nevertheless, he could make his first appearance in red as soon as next Sunday, when Como visit Anfield for a friendly.
What position will Ronald Araújo play at Liverpool?
The 27 year old is primarily a centre-back who is also more than capable of playing at right-back, which is ideal, and exactly why Liverpool have recruited him. Of his 213 senior appearances for Barcelona, 183 did come as a central defender, but he is comfortable being utilised a little wider.
During Xavi's reign in Catalonia, Araújo would regularly be deployed at right-back in Clásicos, specifically tasked with nullifying Vinícius Júnior, which he did successfully on more than one occasion. So, with Gomez and Leoni out, and Jacquet unlikely to be ready in time, the new recruit has just become Virgil van Dijk's most-likely centre-back partner against Newcastle on 23 August.
However, once Iraola has more options available, he could well be chosen over Jeremie Frimpong at right-back. This is especially likely to be the case for tougher matches, when the Dutchman's defensive vulnerabilities can often be exposed.
What shirt number will Ronald Araújo wear?
Ahead of this announcement, it was something of a mystery what shirt number Araújo would choose. With Jérémy Jacquet the new number five, every number from one to ten is filled; it would have been a bold move for the new defender to take 11, with Bradley Barcola likely on his way to Merseyside very soon.
It has though been confirmed that Araújo will go for 33. He will be the first player to don 33 for a decade, following quite the motley crew of players to have showcased this shirt number before:
Liverpool's former number 33s: Premier League era
- Layton Maxwell: 1999/00
- Alan Navarro: 2000/01
- Neil Mellor: 2002/05
- Sebastián Leto: 2007/08
- Jonjo Shelvey: 2010/13
- Jordon Ibe: 2013/16
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