Ronald Araujo transfer news: Liverpool complete deal to sign Barcelona defender on loan with option to buy

Liverpool have confirmed the signing of defender Ronald Araujo from Barcelona.

The deal is an initial loan for the 27-year-old, who signed a new contract with Barca until 2031 last year, and also includes an option to buy for around £47.14m (€55m).

⁠Liverpool are not paying Barcelona a loan fee and will cover the entirety of Araujo's salary for the duration of the season-long loan. It is understood Araujo has taken a pay cut to facilitate the move.

The centre-back will add to Andoni Iraola's options at the heart of his defence following the departure of Ibrahima Konate to Real Madrid and fitness concerns over inexperienced 21-year-old Jeremy Jacquet.

Jacquet, a summer signing from Rennes, has made 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.

Joe Gomez suffered a muscle injury in Liverpool's opening pre-season game, while teenage centre-back Giovanni Leoni is still recovering from an ACL injury, leaving captain Virgil van Dijk as Liverpool's only fully-fit senior centre-back.

Araujo moved from his native Uruguay in 2018 and made his Barcelona debut the following October, going on to play more than 200 games at the LaLiga side to date.

He was named as one of the club captains following the departure of Marc-Andre ter Stegen in January, but started only 11 LaLiga matches for the Catalan giants last season after an extended break from football in November 2025 to recover from what he later revealed was depression.