Liverpool tap Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo to shore up injured defence

Liverpool face a defensive shortage after Ibrahima Konaté’s move to Real Madrid and a knee injury that will keep Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley sidelined for the opening months of the 2026‑27 season, leaving Andoni Iraola with limited options at the heart of his back line.

Further compounding the problem, Joe Gomez suffered a muscle injury in the opening pre‑season match and teenage centre‑back Giovanni Leoni is still recovering from an ACL injury, meaning captain Virgil van Dijk is currently the only fully fit senior centre‑back.

Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo arrives as a primarily central defender who can also provide cover at right back for the injured Frimpong and Bradley, offering Iraola flexibility across the defensive line.

The move is a straight loan for the 27‑year‑old, who signed a new contract with Barcelona until 2031 last year, and the agreement runs for the full season.

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Araujo has made fewer than 100 senior career appearances and missed the second half of last season after undergoing shoulder surgery, which explains why he has not featured in Liverpool’s pre‑season preparations yet.

The Uruguayan international captained Barcelona to the LaLiga title last term and has logged more than 200 appearances for the club, but he now finds himself behind Pau Cubarsi and Gerard Martin in the pecking order.

Liverpool will face Monaco on Sunday in pre‑season, then Cesc Fabregas’s Como a week later, before opening the campaign against Newcastle on August 23, giving Araujo just over two weeks to integrate as the third major arrival after Jeremy Jacquet and winger Victor Muñoz.

The story was reported by SIMON JONES and LEWIS BROWNING, SPORTS REPORTER, and was published at 23:42 BST on 7 August 2026, with an update at 00:08 BST on 8 August 2026.