Araujo hails on‑time Liverpool wage after eight years of Barça delays
Ronald Araujo told reporters at Anfield that he had received his salary on time for the first time in many years, a relief he linked to his move from Barcelona to Liverpool after the 2‑1 victory over Atlético in the opening Champions League fixture.
Playing at right‑back, the Uruguayan centre‑half supplied the cross that Dominik Szoboszlai turned in the 40th minute to equalise, after Marcos Llorente had opened the scoring, and later watched Alexis Mac Allister finish the comeback after the break.
Loan deal and wage cut
The player’s departure from Barcelona was finalised in August on a loan lasting until 30 June 2027, with Liverpool holding an option to buy for €55 million. The club also agreed a wage reduction that helped Barcelona trim its payroll by €44 million this summer.
In November 2020 Barcelona negotiated a €122 million cut to fixed salaries and deferred €50 million of variable pay over the next three seasons, a pattern that has shaped subsequent agreements.
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During that period senior figures such as Piqué, Ter Stegen, De Jong and Lenglet renewed contracts using the same deferral formula, while Ronald Koeman and his staff accepted comparable measures; Araujo’s name was already listed among those eligible for the scheme.
Barcelona's lingering salary crisis
President Joan Laporta later admitted the club still owed Lionel Messi payments stemming from the earlier deferral pact, with instalments due until 2025, and recalled that the wage bill once consumed 98 percent of revenue.
The 2025‑26 accounts, released this week, showed record income but an €18 million loss; the wage bill stood at €571 million, representing 54 percent of revenue, and the 2026‑27 budget projects €636 million in wages within a total €1.195 billion budget.
In Liverpool, Araujo has reclaimed the prominence he lost under Hansi Flick. Should he maintain his form, the English club will decide in June whether to trigger the €55 million purchase option, a sum that Barcelona would receive from a player whose exit story is now framed around overdue salaries.