Ronald Araujo to undergo Liverpool medical ahead of loan move

Liverpool are looking to strengthen their defence, following the free transfer of Ibrahima Konate to La Liga giants Real Madrid this summer, and have agreed on a loan deal for Barcelona centre-back Ronald Araujo, who is set to undergo his medical ahead of his surprise move to England.

The Reds are looking to add depth at centre-back, however, 21-year-old new signing Jeremy Jacquet’s lack of fitness to navigate through the entire Premier League and European campaign has called for an imminent reinforcement.

The summer signing from Rennes has recorded fewer than 100 senior career appearances and has not featured in pre-season yet after missing the second half of last season following shoulder surgery.

Meanwhile, the out-of-favour Barcelona captain, Araujo, is keen on a move to Anfield, after an uncertain season that saw the defender stay out longer on the sidelines – a major hamstring injury suffered during the summer 2024 Copa América kept him sidelined until December 2024.

His combined 1,583 minutes across all major competitions — 1,073 in La Liga, 448 in the Champions League and 62 in the Supercopa de España — fell well short of his usual levels.

The 27-year-old, who signed a new Barca contract that runs until 2031 last year, will have his deal with Liverpool include a £47.14 million (€55 million) buy-out option.

The Uruguayan international will arrive in the UK on Sunday to undergo a medical and complete his temporary switch to Liverpool.

The 6.3-foot centre-back is poised to expand new manager Andoni Iraola’s choices in central defence, arriving in the wake of Konaté’s exit to the Spanish Capital and amid lingering doubts over the readiness of young summer arrival Jacquet.

Liverpool’s injury list continues to pile up, as Joe Gomez suffered a muscle injury in the Reds’ opening pre-season game, while teenage centre-back Giovanni Leoni is still recovering from an ACL injury, leaving captain Virgil van Dijk as the club’s only fully-fit senior centre-back.

Araujo primarily plays as a central defender, but his versatility will also allow him to fill in at right-back. This would aid two problem positions for Liverpool, who have injuries at both right-back and centre-back.

Araujo joined the Catalan club straight from Uruguay in 2018 and made his debut the following October, going on to record more than 200 games at the Nou Camp to date.

Renowned for his aggression, winning mentality and leadership, he was appointed one of Barcelona’s captains after Marc-André ter Stegen’s departure in January.

He started just 11 La Liga games last season, however, having stepped away from the game for several months from November 2025 while recovering from depression that he later publicly revealed.