Ronald Araujo is due to undergo a medical at Liverpool on Sunday as the Uruguay international prepares to complete a season-long loan move from Barcelona. The Premier League club have reached a verbal agreement with the Spanish side for the 2026/27 campaign, with sporting director Deco giving the proposal his approval.
Deal structure and terms
The arrangement will see Liverpool cover Araujo’s full salary during the loan spell. The agreement also contains an option to make the transfer permanent, with Football365 reporting the clause is set at €55million (£47m) and can be activated in June 2027. The option is not mandatory, leaving Liverpool to decide next summer whether to pursue a full transfer.
Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano confirmed the verbal agreement was approved by Barcelona director Deco on Friday, with documents being signed shortly afterwards. Araujo did not travel with the Barcelona squad for their pre-season schedule before arranging his flight to England.
Liverpool’s defensive priorities
The Anfield hierarchy moved for Araujo following the free transfer of Ibrahima Konaté to Real Madrid. Managerial staff have also been contending with an injury crisis at centre-back, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, summer signing Jeremy Jacquet and young defender Giovanni Leoni all unavailable in recent weeks.
Araujo is expected to become Liverpool’s third acquisition of the window, joining Jacquet and Víctor Muñoz in arriving this summer. The club continue to monitor attacking options, with Football365 noting interest in Paris Saint-Germain forwards Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye, though Arsenal also hold interest in Barcola and PSG’s valuation could complicate negotiations.
Fall from favour at Barcelona
The 27-year-old’s departure comes after he slipped down the pecking order under manager Hansi Flick. Araujo lost his starting place in central defence to Gerard Martín and Pau Cubarsí, while Jules Koundé remains the preferred choice at right-back, with Eric García providing cover.
Barcelona previously resisted advances for the Uruguayan, holding off reported bids of €80million from Bayern Munich in late 2023 and early 2024. Since making his senior debut in 2019 after joining from Boston River, Araujo has made 213 appearances for the club, scoring 14 goals and serving as one of the squad’s four captains.
Should the medical proceed without issue, Araujo will provide immediate defensive cover for the new season. Liverpool will then assess his performances throughout the campaign before deciding whether to trigger the purchase option next summer.