Liverpool have agreed a surprise loan deal to sign Barcelona centre-back Ronald Araújo, with Fabrizio Romano reporting the move as done between the clubs. The verbal agreement has been approved by Barcelona sporting director Deco, and the Uruguay international is set for a medical on Friday before the transfer is finalised.
The deal is a season-long loan for 2026/27. Liverpool will cover Araújo’s full salary and hold an option — but not an obligation — to sign him permanently at the end of the campaign, according to Sky Sports and reports in Spain.
It is a significant addition. The 27-year-old is one of Europe’s most physically dominant defenders, and made 24 La Liga appearances for Barcelona last season. He is understood to have accepted Liverpool’s proposal after concluding that he would not get the game time he wanted under Barça head coach Hansi Flick.
The move solves a real problem for Andoni Iraola, who took charge at Anfield this summer and has been chasing defensive cover. Joe Gomez, Giovanni Leoni and Jérémy Jacquet are all working their way back from injury, leaving the new manager short at centre-back going into the season.
For FPL, Araújo is one to monitor rather than rush in for. An elite centre-back behind a strong Liverpool side carries clean-sheet appeal, but he arrives into a crowded back line and will need to nail down a starting spot first — so keep him on the watchlist for now. Our AI defender rankings already have Liverpool well represented, and we will fold Araújo in once he settles.
Reported by Fabrizio Romano and Matteo Moretto, with confirmation via Sky Sports and ESPN. We will update this story once the transfer is officially confirmed.