Liverpool have agreed a season-long loan for Barcelona centre-back Ronald Araujo, with the English club covering the defender's full wages and holding an option to make the move permanent. Araujo, 27, is expected to travel to England this weekend to link up with his new squad.
The deal addresses a defensive crisis at Liverpool. Ibrahima Konate departed for Real Madrid on a free transfer, while Joe Gomez, Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni are all sidelined with injuries, leaving Virgil van Dijk as the only fully-fit senior centre-back.
Araujo started only 11 LaLiga matches last season and fell behind Pau Cubarsi and Gerard Martin in Barcelona's defensive pecking order. Despite making more than 200 appearances and serving as a club captain, he was told by manager Hansi Flick that his playing time would remain limited. He remains under contract with Barcelona until 2031.